Zolnierczyk suspended 4 games
Daily News Flyers blog
Zolnierczyk suspended 4 games
Frank Seravalli
Flyers forward Harry Zolnierczyk has been suspended for 4 games by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for charging Ottawa defenseman Mike Lundin on Saturday.
Lundin appeared to temporarily lose consciousness on the vicious hit – and Ottawa coach Paul MacLean confirmed after the game that Lundin had suffered a concussion.
“Instead of delivering a hard, legal check, he launches prior to the check, making sigifnicant contact to Lundin’s head,” NHL vice president Brendan Shanahan said in a video explanation. “What no player should expect is that his opponent will launch upward, off the ice and into his head.”
Shanahan’s full video explanation is posted below.
Zolnierczyk, 25, had never been previously suspended by the NHL in his 43-game career. He is the second Flyer to be suspended this season, following Brayden Schenn’s one-game ban on Jan. 23.
He will sacrifice approximately $12,973 in salary, which goes toward the NHL’s Player Emergency Assistance Fund. Zolnierczyk will be eligible to return to the Flyers’ lineup on March 13 in New Jersey.
Healthy scratch Mike Knuble will likely replace Zolnierczyk in the lineup.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
Comments (60)
Harry Z is a cheap shot artist and should be a Phantom. We need a real tough guy not some cheap shot guy who can't score, can't fight so all he can do is deliver dirty hits.— Ferrell31- Four games is way too much for that hit. Should have been 2. In addition, where is the suspension for Alfredsson's deliberate hit to Rinaldo's head? Wait, he was on the other team. If there is no suspension for Alfredsson, then its clear there is too much bias in that office. If they are intent on stopping intentional shots to the head, Alfredsson's hit is a textbook case, just like Z's charging. Time to clear out that committee and put some unbiased people. Wait, that's controlled by Bettman and Campbell too. Oh well.— ena1977
- Right on, Ena. More hypocrisy and double standard by Mr. Shanahan. Just last week Montreal's Max Pacioretty clearly left his feet on a hit against the Rangers' Ryan McDonah and was not suspendeded. Here's the proof:
http://i2.cdn.turner.com/si/dam/assets/130225153819-max-pacioretty-single-image-cut.jpg - Please guys lets be honest..if that was done to a Flyer fans would be screaming for the death penalty..That hit was exactly the type of hit that the NHL must eliminate....totally unnecessary and directed at the head...that one was a no brainer for Shanahan he clearly earned the susppension.......and Flyerfan4life....agree with you 1000% the Pacioretty hit absolutely should have led to a similar suspension. — flyers1000
- So lets see....the right skate cannot be conclusively seen to be off the ice, the left skate goes off the ice 2.5 inches one nanosecond prior to the check. But they say, "Zol. launches before the check". Hope they stay consisted for future checks, especially vs Flyers...one skate off the ice, one nanosecond before a hit.— Romus
- This is so typical of the NHL. Its easy to suspend a 4th line player. If this was a so called star player, he would have gotten 1 game max. Look at what Neal did in last years playoffs. Malkin before that. I agree a 1 game suspension would be in order here, but 4 is ridiculous. Its so funny how a guy like Scott Stevens was such a great defense man for doing the exactly same thing, over and over again. Now everyone is so outraged. Give me a break.— taydan
- Stop, it was a dirty hit...he's reckless and he's towing a fine line out there. Someone is going to end his career quick if he doesn't learn. He just got away with a legal cheapshot at the end of a 4-1 game the other night, then does this...moron. Your asset is speed, not cheap shots. Rinaldo has mastered the agitator role...just forecheck and create havoc and energy with your speed, and learn how and when to hit like that. If it was against the flyers, you'd all want his head...I'm a flyer fan and think he needs beat up— philly thug
- And as much I hate defending him, Scott Stevens feat were never off the ice and his elbows were down...at least the ones i remember against lindros— philly thug
- Scott Stevens was/is indefensible. He was one of the great cheap shot artists of all time--and the announcers loved to cover for him. His favorite was skating from the far away on the blind side, then, uncoiling as he brought his shoulder to the side of the head. Yes, his feet didn't leave the ice. Yes, his elbows were down. Yes, picking up speed from 20 or so yards away makes for a "good" impact. That's why he was such a great cheap shot artist. He almost looked as if he weren't trying to injure other players! I said, ALMOST! — BEMiller
- Its not a 4 game suspension....he was coasting before he hit the player. The player he hit was skating towards him, and he didnt jump. He braced him self on the hit. Had the player been standing taller, it would have hit him in the chest not the head. Not Zs fault his head was down. Maybe a 1 game suspension at most.— skybird
- f-ing joke was clean hit you morons need to watch soccer. Shanahan is freaking Joke, chris neal has done this multiple times, redwings Kronwell hits like this on daily basis... Only because its the flyers James Neil did this twice on one shift last year Remember anyone??— bigtom blew3
- Ridiculous. Maybe, maybe I could understand one game. Four? And to add insult to injury, Alfredsson cross-checks Rinaldo in the head and gets nothing. I would say unbelievable, but as a Flyers' fan I've come to expect this kind of nonsense from the league.— Argh27
- Ridiculous! I might be able to understand a suspension for the rest of the season, but it is unimaginable to me that the NHL could go with ONLY 4 lousy games.
As the man said, "The cheap shots will continue in hockey, and the announcers will continue to cover for the cheap shot artists!"— BEMiller - His feet definitely left the ice. 2 games would make more sense but 4 isn't that far off.— Steve5877
- Guys don't need to be trying to kill each other. It's something I hate about the NHL. Otherwise it's a great game. I agree that stars don't get this level of punishment. But my eight year old is someone who complains about the unfairness of life. Get over this unevenness; such complaints miss the point. The fact is, it was a dirty hit so a multi-game suspension is in order. Z gained speed, stopped his skates, got his skates square, dropped his shoulder, and launched into the guy's head. It delivered a head injury to another player. I honestly don't think four games is enough, except that this is a first offense.
Like the NFL the NHL penalties for head shots creates a perverse incentive structure that encourages knocking other guys out. The only way to neutralize the incentive is that a guy should be kept out for exactly as long as the injured party is out due to injury. Also, if that is an uneven transaction, due to a difference in player quality, the offending team should lose a player of the same quality as the injured opponent for the same period of time the opposing party is injured. And the aggressor should pay the salary of the opponent for the time the opponent is out due to injury. However this latter aspect, the quality-for-quality transaction should not happen until there are multiple instances. This will result ultimately in dangerous players not making the league.
Enforcers are important but they need not be killers. Charge a guy, fight a guy, enforce that way. But don't go launching into a guy's head or clobbering him in the face with a stick. It ruins the game for everyone. It can destroy a guy's career. Kids watching get the wrong idea about hockey. There's nothing right about it.— HeelYes - No, keep them out for TWICE as long as the injured player.
BTW: The old school enforcers were not cheap shot artists.— BEMiller - The kids watching will get over it. Tell them life isn't fair and not everyone should get trophies! Hockey is a brutal sport, this is all part of the game as is fighting. So try explaining the kids that fighting is allowed!! That's any different? Hockey been this way for ever and they used to not wear helmets. Go watch golf or tennis if its two disturbing for you. — kchaz
- Anyone that thinks this was a clean and legal hit is in denial. Whether Lundin's head was down Harry Z left his feet and deserves a suspension. Four might be a little ridiculous though considering repeat offenders have gotten less game for the same infraction in the past.— FatEagle
- Shanahan has been stealing a paycheck from the NHL the moment he took the job. Go learn how to fish, buddy. Learn how to enjoy retirement. Absolutely clean hit.— Smooth88
- B.S. is what he is.
The so-called "clean hit" is one of the chief things ruining hockey. Whenever great players are forced to miss games because of so-called clean hits, then those clean hits should go the way of the wild goose.
Frankly, I'm all for suspensions that are twice as long as the games missed by the victim of the "clean hit"!— BEMiller - You morons love this stuff.
— FlyersLosersFor38Years - If you think that Harry wasn't trying to leave his feet, then can anyone explain why his feet were so high in the air after the hit? He meant to hit up high. Yes, Lundin's head was down, but Harry was head hunting. Send the guy down to the Phantoms. That's not what the Flyers represents. (Anymore.)— trungy
- This hit is debatable. I do feel 4 games is a little much. What did Matt Cooke get for almost destroying a man's career? Anyway, the worst thing about this, aside from the Concussion being the obvious, is that now there is more fodder for the "professional" referees to keep the Flyers, again, on top of the ladder for most penalty minutes in th NHL. Last time I checked, the Broad Street Bullies regime ended over 30 years ago........— girouxforpresident
- Four may be a lot but those above who don't think it deserves any suspension are clueless idiots. Why do these guys have to keep launching themselves at the head?— Mark1
- Four may be a lot but those above who don't think it deserves any suspension are clueless idiots. Why do these guys have to keep launching themselves at the head?— Mark1
- No suspension for Alfredsson?— cdedrick05
- And the "they're out to get us " whining continues. We have a lot of clueless hockey fans in this city.— Mark1
- im a huge Flyers fan and cant understand why any real objective hockey fan can say that was not a cheap shot. He clearly went after him and left his feet. There is no place for this in any sport. I love good CLEAN hard hitting but this goon was out to injure.
Just imagine if some goon on another team did that to one of our players.
I feel to help curb this kind of goonism is to suspend the offending player for as long as the player he hit is unable to play.— johnsothermail - Shuycks, there goes the Stanley Cup.....hahahahaha— STEPHEN1988
- WHat a TOOL you are. Did all the athletes beat you up as a little girl ? — hvitoloco
- How many games was Alfredsson suspended for for intent to injure?— Sidewinder7
- He hit him with the lower part of his upper arm, which was firmly against his side. If he hadn't come off the ice 1 or 2 inches, he would have still contacted him with his lower part of his upper arm (if he had come off by a foot, he still would have legally contacted him). Here, as with many other things, the NHL is more concerned with style over substance. Instead of being interested in the nature of the contact, it concerns itself with the style of the contact.— sklandog
- This is the first time I ever recall a first time offender getting this many games.— schnitzelboy
- sklandog, what part of charging head contact don't you understand?— Mark1
- Do you have something to add, or are you just going to run around the comments sections making derogatory comments about other people who don't agree with whatever view you hold? Why don't you explain it to me? Cite the definition of the infraction outlined in the rulebook. — sklandog
- Those defending him and whining about the NHL office stop embarassing yourselves....He skated across the ice..left his feet..and hit him in the head...charging..check to the head all combined in 1....that was an easy one for Shanahan who I agree is very inconsistent but there is no agenda against the Flyers ....Reason why he got 4 games is because he is a career minor leaguer who is trying to make a name for himself by gooning it up...the league sees that and handled it that way..If Giroux did the same thing he would have gotten 1 maybe 2 games because he is an established player with no previous incidents..its the right call...if some scrub was brought up by the Rangers and they did that to a Flyer we would be calling for a lifetime ban...got to be objective— flyers1000
- Nothing you said was accurate or relevant. — Sidewinder7
- How people can defend that hit is beyond me. Ok for the league beeing inconsistent on punishments, but to call this a clean hit is moronic. Get real.— bosso_fataka
- $ Days suspension and 25 days of mental health training.— jtw
- Scott Stevens, couldn't play in
today's game.
Four games is too much, but Scrabble
just escaped a fine and suspension
the game before.
— olneyboy - It's not over yet. Still waiting for Rinaldo to get suspended for hitting Alfredson's stick with his face! What, you didn't know there's a double standard with this biased committee? Shanahan is a Joke and it's no secret, he hates the Flyers! That being said, Harry the Z should have been suspended but not 4 games!— cooperhawk
- Do you think if that had been Gregory Campbell of the Bruins had done that hit he would have gotten 4 games. No Daddy would have told shanny no suspension clean hit. Chara's hit in Montreal & Lucic on Miller no suspensions. Not only Players but some teams get the all breaks.— flyersfan
- is this really worth a manifesto heel? and ferell, harry z is a third ore fourth line player, he is not here to score goals or be a tough guy. he can be a solid player but has to learn disipline and i'm sure lavy will impart that to him.— deatheater
- He would have probably gotten in a pretty good lick without leaving his feet. That was just way too much.— Phils_World_Champs
Definitely a cheap shot. Suspend guys like Zck for the season, 'WITHOUT PAY!"- What about the the hit to Rinaldo? That drew a game misconduct. Double standard...— Phillyfan666
- Zolnierczyk could have eased up but 4 games is to much.Lundin has Institutors, gotta keep your head up skating into the offensive zone.
Zolnierczyk did not jump to make contact his skates came off the ice after the hit. What did Alfredsson get for the two hand cross check to the head?— callitlikeiseethem - Keep your skates on the ice. I would be upset if that was a Flyer on the ice. I am sure it's easier said than done. Send the guy an apology and some midol.— NYPHILLYPHAN
- Shanahan has a drinking problem The entire league has a top management problem.— Claudio Vernight
- More BS inconsistency from Shanny. Look at the video slowly. His feet were ON the ice when contact was made. But then this is Shanny, who is just as pathetic as Campbell was so why would be expect anything else? If this was Malkin or Neal making the same exact hit you would see one game max, assuming they even bothered to see it as suspension worthy. Different rules for different players...and life in the NHL goes on.— Fly Guy
1 for the hit, 3 for wearing orange. Scott Stevens is in the hall of fame for far worse.— Pelti- Hockey is predicated on big hits. Everyone knows what you are signing up for when you play in the NHL. I've seen much worse against the boards.— Drew777
- hit was too much, he left the ice, cracked homie in the dome. no question, didn't need to happen at that ferocity. for sure, the hit needed to happen and harry z needs to make a name, he just could have done it a little lighter. that said, 4 games does seem a little much, when looking at the overall suspension schedule of the last 2 - 3 years. and yes, big birds 2 handed cross check to the ear hole of zach was a complete "intent to injure". his blood was boiling, and he wanted to take off zachs head. that should have at least been a 1 gamer, just on principal. great game, this is hockey!— arcadegm
- Shanahan is bias.— rockinrob
- Dirty and unecessary hit. If thats the kind of hit we should be applauding, then there is something seriously wrong and there won't be enough of these kids left in the game after all the concussions. Everyone likes to see a big hit but thats what makes the NHL different from all the other goon leagues. There is a mutual respect for one another, when that is lost it just becomes goonery.— MackB#17
- sklandog, Again, and I'm serious, what part of charging and head contact don't you understand? This is a dangerous play that has no place in the game. There are many posts here by people who get that. Why you do not is hard to understand.— Mark1
- This was not a clean hit as he left his feet and aimed for the puck carriers head. If you want to run around trying to injure guys you better be ready to drop the gloves and fight and not have your teammates (Rinaldo) do the fighting for you. You know someone is coming for you so man up and take them on instead of hiding behind the linesman.— BobbyD
- The Rule every player that plays any sport is told is "keep your head up"... It is ridiculous the way we are penalizing players for hits and yet we refuse to penalize players for putting themselves in the position to be injured. In this case he did leave his feet and that warrants some discipline, but Lundin came into the middle of the ice with his head down at chest level, inviting the hit to his head. The same goes for all of the "boarding calls" that have been being called where the player intentionally turns his back to a hit to draw the penalty. That too should be called a "dive". Or maybe the league should become a no-check league and then all the Penguin fans will be happy!— maroonedinVA
- it was an illegal check to the head and he left his feet. 2-4 games seems right. Now, where's the review on Alfredsson?
— General Turgidson - Sorry, fellow Flyer fans, but Harry Z deserves every single of the four games. He lifted himself up in the air prior to the impact, the head was the principal point of contact and a serious injury resulted from Harry's reckless play. I love a hard hockey hit, but this one clearly was dirty.— flyerdommo
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Reach Frank at seravaf@phillynews.com.
Frank Seravalli
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