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Jones Suspended for Two Games
by Alanah McGinley on 10/29/07 at 01:37 PM ET
Comments (14)
[Updated 4:50pm ET: Jones & Holmgren’s reaction to suspension is below]
From the NHL,
TORONTO (October 29, 2007)—Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Randy Jones has been suspended for two games, without pay, as a result of being assessed a game misconduct during NHL game #146 against the Boston Bruins on Oct. 27, the National Hockey League announced today.
“While it is my determination that Jones did not intend to injure his opponent, he did deliver a hard check to a player who was in a vulnerable position,” said NHL Senior Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell. “There have been suggestions by some that this hit was comparable to incidents earlier this season where players received significant game suspensions for blows to the head. These comparisons and suggestions are wrong,” Campbell added.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Jones will forfeit $5,614.98. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Jones was assessed a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct for a hit on Boston player Patrice Bergeron at 16:07 of the first period.
Jones will miss Thursday’s game at Montreal and the Nov. 2 game at Washington. He will be eligible to return Nov. 5 at NY Rangers.
Update 4:50pm ET:
From The Phantic, reaction to the suspenion:
Randy Jones: “I am a little on the dissappointment side. I think Mr. Campbell is in a tough situation on making this decision in regards to the last couple incidents involving the Flyers. I think he saw my point of view where this was not intentional. This was just a freak accident which unfortunately resulted in an injury. I respect his decision and I have to deal with it, move on, and get back playing after I serve the two games.”
Paul Holmgren: “Randy Jones was suspended by the National Hockey League for two games. I’m disappointed. I think it is a situation that we see, minus the injury to Patrice Bergeron, quite often because a) the intensity of the game; and b) the way offensive players try to spin away from the defensive players. Im dissappointed, but we will deal with it.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Philadelphia Flyers | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: philadelphia+flyers, randy+jones, suspensions,
Comments
These comparisons and suggestions are wrong,” Campbell added.
That’s it??? That’s all he has to say??? That’s the best he could do???
How about, “These comparisons and suggestions are wrong, because I said so.”
Or “These comparisons and suggestions are wrong… and you can believe me, because I never lie, and I’m always right.”
[Credit to a decades-old Firesign Theater record album for that latter one…]
Posted by BobTheZee on 10/29/07 at 02:15 PM ET
About the salary forfeiture, it’s a good question - I have no idea.
Anyone else have a theory?
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 10/29/07 at 02:19 PM ET
Four Quick Theories:
1.) While it is purely coincidence that three of the worst infractions thus far this season have involved players from the Philadelphia Flyers, the team has gratiously offered to pay more than half of Jones’ fine. Furthermore, in line with its new nickname, “The Broad Street Benefactors,” the Flyers have announced that Derian Hatcher will be assigned to help little old ladies cross the street on their way to games for the rest of the season (anything to keep him off the ice).
3.) Tacked the remainder onto that “dumb SOB” (their phrase, not mine) Boulerice’s fine.
2.) Bergeron is paying the balance, since it was partially his fault, too, ya know.
4.) Fine stated in U.S. dollars, payment in Canadian.
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 10/29/07 at 02:47 PM ET
Confound those incredibly complicated Arabic numerals!
I was so busy thinking up new theories that I couldn’t be bothered to count from 1 to 4 accurately.
Anyway, here are a few more theories (without numbers, just to be safe):
—Used same accountants that claim NHL revenues are rising.
—Monthly Comcast bill.
—Flyers starting to benefit from new NHL group discounts on suspensions/fines.
Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 10/29/07 at 02:58 PM ET
In my opinion, if a player is determined to be negligible (i.e. not an accidental incident) in a play that causes injury to another player, the player who committed the infraction should [at least] be suspended for as long as it takes the injured player to recover. In other words, you can’t come back until the injured player does. If you put a guy out for the season, then you sit for the remainder of the season, too. If you end a guys career, you should be banned for one full season. It should have equal bearing on both clubs, and it’s unfortunate that an arbitrary suspension can bring two completely different penalties to two extremely similar incidents. There needs to be consistency that forces a player think of the repurcussions on THEIR OWN career before even thinking of committing the infraction (boarding/charging/hit from behind).
I don’t feel that Jones warranted a 20 game suspension, but I think 2 is too light for the downstream impact it will likely have on the Bruins.
Posted by Johnny_I on 10/29/07 at 03:00 PM ET
Johnny_I: I agree with you, but what happens if the player isn’t hurt but the action is egregious?
Posted by Itlan on 10/29/07 at 03:05 PM ET
“negligible” I think you mean negligent.
Posted by Dale Stewart from Moosejaw on 10/29/07 at 03:12 PM ET
My beef is during the 70s there started all this “Finish your check” business. It used to be called “Boarding”, a penalty (look it up in the rule book) which they don’t hardly call anymore because guys are just finishing their check. hitting is supposed to be open ice, knocking the player off the puck. Not smashing them into the boards, especially after they’ve got rid of the puck. Why don’t the refs just call more boarding penalties and discourage the glass plastering of players every game.
Posted by byron from vancouver on 10/29/07 at 03:42 PM ET
Itlan, good point. This is why I suggested that the infraction should be at least the amount of time the other player is injured for - meaning that if it was a completely blatant attempt, that the suspension could be longer than the injury recovery time. But if no injury results, then there’s really no other choice than for it to be an arbitrary process.
The suggestion I was trying to make really concerns injury-related incidents and how to equally balance the impact it has on both teams - the one who commited the infraction, and the one who was impacted by injury.
I suppose this could be taken advantage of if (for example) Marc Savard slashed Johnny Fourthliner and the other team intentionally held Fourthliner out of their lineup to keep Savard out of Boston’s, so perhaps some sort of league-approved diagnosis of the injury recovery time could squabble that scenario.
I know it’s a lot, and may be a stretch, but hey - just an idea.
PS - Thanks for the correction, Dale… hopefully my negligence was negligible…
Posted by Johnny_I on 10/29/07 at 03:48 PM ET
NHL players’ salaries are determined by days in the season (187, I believe), so the salary he will lose is based on the number of days he will be suspended, not a two-out-of-82 ratio.
Posted by James Mirtle from Toronto on 10/29/07 at 03:55 PM ET
Ah, I see. Thank you, James. 
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 10/29/07 at 04:02 PM ET
Way back when we were allowed to check in PeeWee and Mite hockey we were told that any hit to the name and/or number on the back of a jersey was a penalty, plain and simple. If you check leading with your gloves it was considered roughing. Doesn’t seem to be the case anymore. When were the rules changed? Keep your hands down when hitting and keep your head up when taking a hit.
Seems the NHL has been so hell bent on calling hooking in the neutral zone that they took their eyes off of the very plays that can get someone killed. Since we are all worried about safety, can we now go back to the old posts to keep down the nets as well so not every player is brave enough to run the goalie without fear of htting some crossbar or post?
Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 10/30/07 at 09:27 AM ET
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If his compensation is $525,000.00, wouldn’t he be forfeiting two games’ worth, which would be $12,804? Where do they get $5,614?
Posted by Marc from Waterdown, ON on 10/29/07 at 02:07 PM ET