Lots of mayhem in OHL playoffs...because hockey
In the first 18 OHL playoff games, there have already been five suspensions, tons of fights and a slew of misconducts. And, of course, much of the hockey world thinks that's just dandy
It was late in the first playoff game between the Barrie Colts and Hamilton Bulldogs last week when Colts defenceman Brandt Clarke successfully executed ‘The Michigan’ to score his second goal and sixth point of the game and give his team a 10-2 lead. If arguably the best player in the Ontario Hockey League didn’t already have a target on his back, he certainly did after his goal and exuberant celebration.
Going into Tuesday night’s playoff games, Clarke led the OHL in scoring with three goals and 11 points. But the Los Angeles Kings’ top prospect didn’t play in Game 4 of the Barrie-Hamilton series Tuesday night because he was suspended for a knee-on-knee hit on Lawson Sherk of the Bulldogs midway through Game 3 Sunday night. (Sherk suffered a charley horse and played the remainder of the game.) Even though it was acknowledged that Clarke’s hit was both reckless and dirty, Clarke’s agent said that hit was in retaliation for a headshot Clarke received earlier in the game from Bulldogs defenceman Florian Xhekaj, for which Xhekaj received a major penalty and game misconduct. Xhekaj was not, however, suspended for the hit. In Game 1 of the series, Colts winger Beau Jelsma was knocked out of the series by a blow to the head from Bulldogs leading scorer Sahil Panwar, who was ejected from that game and served a two-game suspension.
And there are those in the hockey world who love this stuff, especially at this time of year, because that’s playoff hockey, baby. Forget that one player is currently out with a concussion and in the first 18 OHL playoff games this season, 21 teenagers who earn poverty wages have bare-knuckle punched each other in the face for the entertainment of adults. And, oh yes, always remember that if you’re more talented and work harder than most other players, you have to be willing to receive abuse from the less talented ones. It’s part of why the best game in the world gets a small fraction of the attention (and revenues) of other major sports and keeps it in the dark ages, but hey…
“Brandt’s play was reckless and definitely deserved a suspension,” said Clarke’s agent and former NHLer Randy Robitaille. “I’m not questioning that. But why doesn’t (Xhekaj) get anything? Brandt just gets to the point where he’s getting targeted so much that he does things that are out of character.”
Robitaille said the OHL told the Colts that Xhekaj’s hit was deemed “a hockey play,” something Barrie GM-coach Marty Williamson confirmed. Williamson said he was “dumbfounded” by the fact that Xhekaj was not suspended for his hit to the head of a star in the league. “The league didn’t believe the hit warranted supplemental discipline,” Williamson said. “I can agree to disagree with them, but I’ve got to move on.”
There were 107 penalty minutes in the first three games of the Barrie-Hamilton series, but that is not the only one that has been filled with mayhem. Through the first 18 post-season, the league was averaging 34 PIM per game. But in its eight first-round playoff series there were also:
Five suspensions, two for blows to the head, one for kneeing, one for being the aggressor in a fight and one for deliberately shooting the puck out of play.
21 fighting majors.
Four additional major penalties, three for blows to the head and one for checking from behind.
A total of 12 misconducts for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Eight additional misconducts (aside from those that were given with major penalties), five for being the instigator of a fight, two for persisting in a fight, and one for abuse of an official.
Of the 18 games, only four were without either a major or misconduct penalty.
Hockey Unfiltered made multiple attempts to speak with and left multiple messages with both OHL commissioner David Branch and league vice-president Ted Baker by phone, text and email, but none of them was returned.
Clarke, who had 61 points in 31 games for the Colts after returning from the Kings via Canada’s gold medal-winning team at the World Junior Championship, received an eight-game suspension last season for a head shot that some argued was a clean shoulder-to-shoulder hit. But there was no further discipline on the Xhekaj hit, which looked deliberate and intentional. “I’m very upset,” said Robitaille, who expressed his frustration on social media. “It’s just going to give these players more opportunity to take more liberties with him. That’s just the way it’s going to be. Just because he’s a star player doesn’t mean he deserves to get cheap-shotted two or three times a game.”
Robitaille acknowledged that doing ‘The Michigan’ and celebrating the 10th goal in a 10-2 game might have made Clarke more of a target, which speaks to the culture of revenge that exists in the game. It seems every slight against an opponent, real or perceived, has to be answered with deliberate and swift violence. As former NHLer and current Arizona Coyotes analyst Tyson Nash said last season, “That’s the problem with these young guys. You want to embarrass guys? You want to skill it up? You’d better be prepared to get punched in the mouth.”
“I played the game and I get it,” Robitaille said. “If you want to hot dog and you want to be the better player, you’re going to be a target, there’s no question. I’ve told Brandt, ‘You’re already a target and the less of that stuff you do, the better.’ But you still need to protect your players.”
“Star players all pay a price to be stars,” Williamson added.
Carry on, then…
I'm glad you're covering the OHL playoffs as well Ken. Certainly sounds like it's out of control and I appreciate your bringing it to light to fans who otherwise wouldn't have noticed (like me!).
I'm not sure how Xhekaj wasn't also given a suspension. That looks pretty deliberate to me and not like much of a hockey play.
Does George Parros moonlight as the DOPS in the OHL as well?