OHL Is A F*cking Joke

[BROKEN*ORBITAL]

ERIE PLAYER SUSPENDED FOR SEASON, PLAYOFFS FOR HIT ON FANELLI

TORONTO -- The Ontario Hockey League came down hard on Erie Otters forward Michael Liambas on Wednesday, suspending him for the entire season after a hit that left his opponent with serious head injuries.

Liambas was assessed a match penalty for boarding after his hit on Ben Fanelli of the Kitchener Rangers in a game last Friday.

Fanelli's helmet flew off and he fell unconscious to the ice before he was taken to a local hospital in an ambulance. He was later airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital with skull and facial fractures.

Fanelli's condition has been upgraded to serious but stable, the OHL team said on its website.

League commissioner David Branch issued a statement on the suspension after a league review.

"Players must understand they shall be held accountable for their actions," Branch said. "We must all work towards improving the level of respect players have towards opposing players and the game in general.

"It is the position of the Ontario Hockey League that player Michael Liambas of the Erie Otters Hockey Club be suspended for the balance of the 2009-10 playing season including playoffs."

Fanelli is four years younger than the 20-year-old Liambas, who has now played his last OHL game.

Liambas is a five-foot-nine 200-pounder. Fanelli, who is four inches taller than Liambas but 25 pounds lighter, had one assist in seven games for the Rangers.

He was a candidate to play for Ontario at the World Under-17 Challenge from Dec. 26 to Jan. 4 in Timmins, Ont., according to Rangers head coach Steve Spott.

"He's a player that we felt had the opportunity not only to be a great player for Kitchener, but I believe had an opportunity, and I still hope he has an opportunity, to be a professional hockey player," Spott said.

The Rangers travel to Peterborough to play the Petes on Thursday. Erie returns to the ice Friday against visiting Niagara.

[moxie]

Wow, they have potentially ended this kid's career in hockey because buddy made a boneheaded move and drove himself into the boards head first. That is just uncalled for.

[BROKEN*ORBITAL]

"Players must understand they shall be held accountable for their actions," Branch said. "We must all work towards improving the level of respect players have towards opposing players and the game in general.

Instead of that garbage ass f*cken line, why not tell us what Liambas was suspended for? I guess he can't do that though because that entail explaining that the blame should fall onto the kid in a coma in the hospital. Suspended for disrespect. I hope Fanelli never f*cken plays hockey again.

[Cat Smasher]

I wonder if it's because of his record? Dumb move.

[Wendel_Clark_17]

David Branch is the real enemy of Canadian hockey. He once suspended Jordan Nolan 20 games for winning a fight. Branch is a threat to Canada's hockey culture.

[Agitator97]

Everyone knows that Branch is a fukking idiot...i'm not surprised at all with this. It doesn't help that its mike liambas either...who's only know for hitting a being a good fighter. Liambas played 8 games for Bloomington in the IHL las year so i would guess he's going to try to get back in that league.

[Tucker_316]

Originally Posted by BROKEN*ORBITAL

Instead of that garbage ass f*cken line, why not tell us what Liambas was suspended for? I guess he can't do that though because that entail explaining that the blame should fall onto the kid in a coma in the hospital. Suspended for disrespect. I hope Fanelli never f*cken plays hockey again.

Your last comment was stupid. And why blame the kid in the hospital? He didnt hand out the sentence.

All the same, this decision is bad simply because it's based on the severity of the injury. Had the kid not accumulated such a serious head injury, and it was something a little more minor, this suspension would not have been so severe. That is what needs to be fixed. There should be an equal sentence for every guy that boards someone, no matter what injuries happen, and no matter if none happen. A board is a board.

[bigjohnson]

YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.

[thepolishkid88]

Dont really see how that deserves a year and possibly your hockey career.

[BROKEN*ORBITAL]

Originally Posted by Tucker_316

Your last comment was stupid. And why blame the kid in the hospital? He didnt hand out the sentence.

All the same, this decision is bad simply because it's based on the severity of the injury. Had the kid not accumulated such a serious head injury, and it was something a little more minor, this suspension would not have been so severe. That is what needs to be fixed. There should be an equal sentence for every guy that boards someone, no matter what injuries happen, and no matter if none happen. A board is a board.

This whole scenario is based on stupid. Figured I might as well add some stupid to the stupid fire. Liambas can't play hockey for a while now because Fanelli didn't know how to play hockey to begin with. Then you've got a guy (David Branch) who seemingly doesn't know anything about hockey suspending Liambas for a season for a clean hit. All of that makes as much sense as me wanting Fanelli's hockey days to be over, so why not?

[blackngold]

Wow, I don't think even Campbell & Co. would've suspended a player for that hit. What a ****ing joke is right.

[leafs_fan77]

That's what you get when you put a 16 year old in with big 20 years olds in a contact game of hockey.

[BROKEN*ORBITAL]

Originally Posted by leafs_fan77

That's what you get when you put a 16 year old in with big 20 years olds in a contact game of hockey.

No, that's what you get when you make dumb decisions as a defenceman.

[leafs_fan77]

Yea, but he still saw him coming and could of been strong enough to not get totaled into the boards.

[Phillyfan11]

Wow...thats horrible hockey on Fanelli's part. Learn to protect yourself. He saw the guy was coming for a hit. Yeesh.

Feel bad for the suspended guy. He's just playing the game and gets screwed b/c Fanelli wasn't prepared, something i thought he would have learned before getting to the O.

If he's seen the I already i think he'll sign on somewhere eventually.