Simon Suspended for Season and Playoffs

[OilersHockey]

NEW YORK - New York Islanders forward Chris Simon has been suspended, for the remainder of the 2006-07 regular season and the entirety of the Stanley Cup playoffs, for deliberately using his stick to injure New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg during the third period of Thursday night's game at Nassau Veterans' Memorial Coliseum.

Simon is suspended a minimum of 25 games, including Saturday night's game against Washington plus the 14 that remain in the 2006-07 regular season. If the Islanders do not qualify for the 2007 playoffs, or play fewer than 10 playoff games in the 2007 playoffs, Simon would serve additional games at the start of the 2007-08 regular season to satisfy the minimum term of the suspension.

"The National Hockey League will not accept the use of a stick in the manner and fashion in which Mr. Simon used his Thursday night," said Colin Campbell, NHL Senior Executive Vice President and Director of Hockey Operations. "As a consequence of his actions, Mr. Simon has forfeited the privilege of playing in an NHL game again this season, regardless of how many games the Islanders ultimately play."

Based on his $1-million contract, which expires at the conclusion of the 2006-07 season, Simon forfeits a minimum of $80,213.90. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

The incident occurred at 13:29 of the third period. After receiving a hard check from Hollweg, Simon swung his stick and delivered a two-handed blow to Hollweg's upper body, causing a cut on Hollweg's chin. Simon was assessed a Match penalty.

[Smashing Machine]

Pretty much what we all expected here.
Sad News IMO.. I feel Hollweg should be booted as well for being a dirty embellishing wan who deserved the chop and more.

[OBA]

3 games would have been suffice for Chris Simon.
Hollweg's a piece of sh*t. He's laughing about the whole thing and waiting to run more people late into the boards. He didn't learn.

To bad he didn't get tomahawked much harder.
Suspension is too severe.

[bengino]

25 games is even worst then 22 games, how sad.

The hit was dirty without a doubt, however, 25 games for that while Cam Janssen didn't get that much for his late hit on Tomas Kaberle.

[bengino]

also www.tsn.ca has a hockeynation poll asking what we think of the suspension, the choices are just right, not enough and too much

currently these are the numbers

Just Right 57%
Not Enough 25%
Too Much 18%

this out of 2282 votes!

[wellzy]

HE should have got three to five games at the most, not 25. Hollweg deserved every inch of that stick in his mouth and then have a smile afterwards, he is a prick.

[Baronking]

Considering Alexander Perezhogin was suspended for the rest of the playoffs and an entire season for the same type of slash, I would say the suspension is appropriate and not surprising. I was looking through the old thread and people were calling for a lifetime ban of Perezhogin, but I wont be surprised to hear everyone defending Simon and saying the suspension was to much for a very similar incident.

Several tough guys in the NHL are giving the media more reasons to give this sport and their role a black eye and its a shame because non-hockey fans are going to only hear this story and it will turn them away from the sport even more.

[jason213]

Originally Posted by OBA

3 games would have been suffice for Chris Simon.
Hollweg's a piece of sh*t. He's laughing about the whole thing and waiting to run more people late into the boards. He didn't learn.

To bad he didn't get tomahawked much harder.
Suspension is too severe.

Didn't he just run someone else into the boards from behind again last night? I forget who it was though. Just caught the highlights.

[Isles4life]

Nothing unexpected here. I think he deserves a large suspension, although I do think the McSorley incident was considerably worse, and Simon got more games....that I don't completely understand.

[FlyersEnforcer]

Originally Posted by Smashing Machine

Pretty much what we all expected here.
Sad News IMO.. I feel Hollweg should be booted as well for being a dirty embellishing wan who deserved the chop and more.

couldn't agree more

[forsberg21]

wow, longest suspension in NHL history if im not mistaken. i think that might be a tad extreme. cant say i wasnt expecting it or that he doesnt deserve it. but damn.

[JAVALITE]

In a roundabout way the instigator penalty has brought this type of behaviour about. I'm sick and tired of weasels hiding behind their facemasks,the rules, the officials, their sticks. There is very little honour in the game today.

[Smashing Machine]

Originally Posted by jason213

Didn't he just run someone else into the boards from behind again last night? I forget who it was though. Just caught the highlights.

Hollweg has had numerous dirty hits.. he is the reason Exelby wears a visor now because of a cheap shot elbow that gave him a serious concussion. Exelby kicked his ass a few times so Hollweg decided to throw a dirty elbow.
every game this guy will attempt at least one questionable hit. Chris Simon isn't gonna take that crap from ANYONE. Not in the league or any other.

Simon crossed the line, but i swear i wish Hollweg would actually been hurt.
This "suspension" is hard to stomach it's what's wrong with hockey. everyone is worrying about the state of the game, it SUCKS. what is there to worry about, the only time it gets attention is when something like this happens, whose fault is that ? THAT is the NHL's fault.

shed some light on Hollweg before everyone burns Simon at the stake.

[Packfan104L4]

Hollweg hits hard EVERY time. Players need to learn to deal with it.

Simon was looking RIGHT AT HIM and then turned away, so it wasn't a hit from behind. The league saw this and they made the right call. You'd think that if you're so "hockey inclined" that you would notice this also.

And comparing this the the Janssen hit. That hit was NOTHING compared to this. That was a standard hit from behind. This was an intentional stick to the face. Another 2 inches up or down and this could have been another Bertuzzi incident and then I know all of you would be screaming "SUSPEND HIM FOR LIFE!" You guys were going to complain no matter what the outcome was.

[Blitzkrieg]

How many games was Bertuzzi suspended?
McSorley?