Ed Jovanovski Suspended for 2 Games After Tavares Hit - You Make the Call...
by Travis Hair on Jan 11, 2010 8:57 PM MST
14 comments
Colin Campbell, Senior Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations for the National Hockey League, today announced that Ed Jovanovski would be suspended for two games following the elbowing penalty he got for hitting John Tavares in the 1st period of the Coyotes - Islanders game this past Saturday. According to the official NHL press release:
Jovanovski, who was suspended for two games back in December, now is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He will forfeit $158,536.59 in salary based on the number of games (82) in a season, rather than the number of days (193). The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
So now not only do we lose Jovanovski for the next two big games against the Sharks and the Devils, but everytime Jovo breathes on a guy the league will be taking a look at him. Now there's some argument over whether or not this one was warranted. Granted, Ed Jovanovski did make John Tavares bleed. And yes, his elbow made contact with what the press release also aptly describes as being delivered to "Tavares' head area", whatever that means. Isn't it the head or not?
My argument is that It wasn't necessarily an intentional shot to the head. Sure, the league, the players and even the fans want better policing of head shots, but the league's enforcement of the rules and handing out of suspensions has been spotty at best. Tavares wasn't seriously hurt. He was down for a few moments, but got up on his own, got attention and didn't miss any ice time. Jovanovski was off balance and avoiding his own player at the same time that he was trying to defend Tavares. Was it the smart play or a good play? No. Was it a malicious play or one that had long lasting effects? No. Well not other than costing us one of our top defensemen for the game and beyond. I just don't see that the extra suspensions were warranted or necessary.
What do you think? Take a look at the video of the elbow, draw your own conclusions and share in the comments...
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Not Intentional?
hoo boy was it ever intentional… the big dork did it alright and deserves to be punished… but suspended? wow not really sure the game misconduct, team loss etc wasn’t punishment enough…
Seen worse that got less… what I wouldn’t give for some consistency on these ‘punishments’
Takin over the NHL, 1 blocked shot at a time... Go Z!
Well
I still didn’t see it that way. I think he was trying to slow up Tavares, but I don’t think he was going head hunting.
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JaredFromLondon: ...Odin, he's cool.
Maybe he wasn’t going head hunting but the elbow was obviously intentional.. and if the league wants consistency on those types of plays he needs to be punished. Even though i do agree i have seen far worse go unnoticed…
Phoenix Coyotes! Arizona Cardinals! Phoenix Suns! and the Arizona Diamondbacks!
by phoenixcoyotes17 on Jan 12, 2010 6:34 PM MST up reply actions
I Don't Know...
I’ll defer on the question of consistency by the NHL, but I was at the game Sat night…sat right behind the goalie….when I saw it in “real time” my first thought it was more of an accident than anythig because it looked pretty close (whether he was head hunting or not)….maybe EJ didn’t mean to go to Tavare’s head, but it was his intention to slow him down on the play…no doubt. Now that I’ve seen the replay, it’s more obvious. There’s no arguing the fact his elbow was pretty high….wasn’t much else he could hit but Tavare’s head.
I would
suspect that the wording “head area” is to include the possibility of serious injuries to the neck and other places in the head vicinity.
It sucks that Jovanovski is going to be gone for the next couple games, but it’s not surprising. The NHL has made it pretty clear they want to be tough on head injuries.
An early departure? What are the chances of that? If this was a movie, there wouldn't be an early departure.
Sure
Except that the enforcement of that is inconsistent. Violent hits like the Koci one in Colorado get nothing. If the league wants these to stop then make a clear cut rule with a clear cut penalty. It’s the fact that you never know what’s going to happen and everything is case by case.
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JaredFromLondon: ...Odin, he's cool.
Flyers fan here- just want to say that I’ve definitely seen worse. The hit was intentional, no doubt about it, but did it deserve a suspension? It hardly deserved a game misconduct, which makes me think Tavares might start getting Crosby treatment, meaning that if you breathe on him wrong you get punished. Tavares is far more respectable and a grittier player though, but if that’s why Jovanovski got the suspension it sucks. The league needs to treat all players as equals rather than protecting their stars and making examples of guys with reputations. And I’m sure you all can understand what I’m talking about when I mention Dan Carcillo. The guy gets dirty hits frequently as a Flyer and nothing happens, but if he so much as looks at someone wrong he’s sitting in the box for 2 reasons- his rep and the team he plays on.
You guys are having a great season so far. Keep it up! I’d love to watch you in the playoffs.
Thanks for stopping by!
I certainly hope everyone will be watching us in the playoffs :D
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JaredFromLondon: ...Odin, he's cool.
by Travis Hair on Jan 12, 2010 12:08 AM MST up reply actions
I agree with this.
It’s the equivalent of throwing bean balls in baseball. Nail a utility infielder in the head, get a warning. Underhand a wiffle ball at Jeter, let it bounce twice, get 5 games.
It was intentional, to a point. Jovo should have got a double minor, MAYBE, at worst. I think the NHL is really on edge looking for every last hit as if every one is ‘headhunting’.
I like my goals like I like my booze..... Top shelf.
by GhostOfLinkGaetz on Jan 12, 2010 12:21 AM MST up reply actions
I'm a bit strict, but...
Whether Jovo intended to elbow Tavares square in the face or not, that’s plainly what he did. Got his elbow up like someone who doesn’t know how to hit. As a long-tenured veteran who’s delivered plenty of hits, he should know how to hit. I don’t really have any tolerance for hitting incompetence, even if it’s a momentary lapse. It’s simple: Keep your arms compact, avoid any issues with your hit. Can’t keep your arms compact? Then either soften your hit, accept the discipline, or quit the game and find a new job.
Now as for the suspension, I am incapable of guessing what the league should have done, since the league is incapable of deciding on a standard. On one hand for their circus court, it was a hit to the head by a repeat offender. On the other hand, they like to hold off unless someone is injured beyond that game. So I guess they followed one of their goofy standards and not the other. Par for the course in the Campbell Circus.
Lighthouse Hockey: Under contract through 2021, knees and hips be damned.
Right.
And I think i’m on board with that. the 5+the game I’m fine with. Crappy hit. The suspension though? I just don’t get it. The league just has zero logic.
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JaredFromLondon: ...Odin, he's cool.
You know what would be great? If they created some sort of printed guide on how they dealt with— nahhh…
I guess on the bright side, historically speaking, we get a little taste of what living under an unpredictable lawless regime is like — without all the life-threatening side effects.
Lighthouse Hockey: Under contract through 2021, knees and hips be damned.
agree with what was said here about Coli's standards...or lack thereof but
as Dom knows, we had a bit of a different take on it on Lighthouse. Of course, that’s not too surprising, Here’s the thing though: your own announcers were dreading a much longer suspension based on what they saw and his previous suspension. Also, Jovo was happy about the outcome of his suspension hearing which tells you he expected more. He probably should have had 4-5 games. Gotta love the Flyer fan with his Sid treatment comment. If that were the case, Pronger probably would have had two suspensions by now!!!
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