RIHL DISCIPLINARY ACTION
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Dec. 14, 2021
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Shock N Awe
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Plugs |
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Players / Infractions:
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Daniel Woods |
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Slashing
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Decision Date:
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Dec 16, 2021
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Committee in Attendance:(by email)
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Doug Collins (President)
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No hearing |
Email reports only
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| Discipline Action: |
Game Ejection
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Warning that further incidents will not be tolerated |
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| Description
of Incident: |
Some aggressive play, perhaps involving unneccesary stick work, resulted in a retaliation slash by Daniel Woods of the Shock N Awe. The slash was severe enough to injure another player on the back swing. This player, who was apparently not the intended target left the game and later reported a broken wrist.
Daniel Wood was issue slashing and roughing penalties. Later in the game he was assessed 2 more penalties which caused him to be ejected from the game due to the 4 penalty rule.
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Concern:
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While it is possible that the offense was provoked, the fact that a player was injured (and not the intended victim) suggests that the level of aggression was beyond that of a the minor penalty he was assessed, prompting an investigation.
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Referee Report:
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From the official, Ryan Saretky:
On the back swing of #37 slash it caught the plugs player on the wrist and the actual slash itself was on another plugs player and he slashed him on the side of the pants which is why it was only 2 mins.
It was a pretty hard slash but because it didn’t hurt the player he was trying to hit I only assessed a 2 min minor for slash and another one for roughing after. I wasn’t aware of the other players injury until after the game resumed
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| Plaintiff Report: |
From of The Plugs:
Very early in the game #38 delivered a vicious slash that made contact with one of our players on the wind-up and another on the follow through. One player was fortunate to be struck in the pants, unfortunately our other players was slashed across the wrist. This player left the game, went to the hospital and has been diagnosed with a broken wrist.
It was roughly 5 minutes into the first period when this occurred. At this point there had been no confrontations or chippy play so it is absolutely absurd that #38 lost his temper to the point that he delivered a full two-handed baseball swing.
This is not our first run-in with #38 this year. In what I believe was our second game of the season he delivered a cross-check to the upper back of one of our players right before the final buzzer when the puck was not even in the same zone. As our player was trying to stand up he was struck in the face, resulting in a bloody mouth. This incident did not result in any penalties.
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Defense Response:
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From Dan Woods, Shock N Awe:
The puck was carried into our defensive zone by the Plugs player #37 (he was not wearing a Plugs jersey). I knocked the puck off his stick and we bumped together as the play completed. When I turned to follow the play to the other side of the ice #37 chopped me in the back of the legs. The play continued and Plugs #37 got the puck near the hash marks. I checked the puck again and bumped him again pushing him back. He slashed me again in the legs. I spun around and tried to knock his stick out of his hands but as I did this another Plugs player skated between us and my stick connected with him instead. As this happened one of the Plugs defensemen skated towards me to confront me and I put my hands up pushing him away. It wasn’t vicious at the time I received a slashing and a roughing penalty, it caught him between pads, just unfortunate. The Plugs did not get a penalty.
As a side note after the play I said to the ref that #37 slashed me twice and I didn't retaliate out of nowhere. He replied he didn't see the slashes and apologized. |
Comments:
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In hearing the reports from both teams and officials (including an unbiased, off-the-record report from the scorekeeper) it was clear what took place. Sadly, it was not an usual incident, expect for the manner of injury involved. However, it is the kind of play that does not belong in our league or hockey in general.
In considering the matter, because no major penalties were called, and because there is little doubt as to what took place, I feel there is no need for a Disciplinary Hearing, It does, however, warrant the matter to become part of the official record of disciplinary action.
- Doug Collins
RIHL President
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| The Decision: |
Regardless of what took place to raise the ire of Mr Woods, an injury did take place and he needs to take responsibility for it.
Although reports indicate that the slash was vicious, it seems that the injury inflicted was accidental and not even on the intended player. That would explain why a Major was not called. For that reason, there will be no immediate call for a suspension, but for the following warning is issued, and part of the official record of Disciplinary Action:
Please express to Dan Woods that any action, of retaliation or otherwise, that causes or leads to injury is not acceptable, even if accidental. He is hereby on notice that if any action on his part is brought to my attention in the future, it will likely result in a suspension. Players in the RIHL are expected to play in a mature manner, which means controlling emotion, regardless on injustices of play.
- by Executive Decision: Doug Collins, RIHL President
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