Chirps from Center Ice

On the personnel front, Pittsburgh announced the reassignment of Dylan Reese back to Wilkes-Barre. That’s great news for all involved. Matt Niskanen and Kris Letang came off injured reserve up top so Pittsburgh is healthy and there are no bodies there that belong here. Simon Despres? His AHL ship has sailed. He still hypothetically could return because he’s waiver exempt, but the way he’s playing for Pittsburgh, there’s no way you send him back.

Fallout from last night, Binghamton recalled Marc Chevrie from Elmira, no doubt because of the injury to Nathan Lawson last night from Adam Payerl’s charging major.

This morning I checked the AHL Rulebook on the Major Penalties that were assessed to Payerl and Tom Kostopoulos. Payerl first:

Rule 42 – Charging

42.1 Charging – A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player who skates or jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner.

Charging shall mean the actions of a player who, as a result of
distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A “charge” may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame or in open ice.

A minor, major or a major and a game misconduct shall be
imposed on a player who charges a goalkeeper while the goalkeeper is within his goal crease.

A goalkeeper is not “fair game” just because he is outside the goal crease area. The appropriate penalty should be assessed in every case where an opposing player makes unnecessary contact with a goalkeeper. However, incidental contact, at the discretion of the Referee, will be permitted when the goalkeeper is in the act of playing the puck outside his goal crease provided the attacking player has made a reasonable effort to avoid such contact.

It goes on to state that if there is an injury to the face or head as a result of the foul, the player is fined $200 and if deemed appropriate, supplementary discipline can be imposed.

I think Payerl is getting suspended. I checked the history of the suspensions handed out by the League going back to November. The majority of them are for violent boarding penalties or checking to the head penalties. Since we have the combination of a violent collision which resulted in a subsequent injury to Lawson’s head area, Payerl is going to get sat down. My guess is three games.

Kostopoulos’ spearing call is black and white. There is no minor penalty for spearing in the AHL Rulebook. It’s either a double-minor, major or a match penalty if there is an injury. A major was assessed last night. He’ll receive a $200 fine. I do not think he gets suspended.

We’ll have to wait and see what, if any, action the AHL takes on this. I’d expect that if there is a suspension, it is announced before Friday’s game vs. Norfolk.

Let’s Go Pens!