The UHL has officially decided not to suspend Komets center Andrew Luciuk for his altercation with Rockford goaltender Michel Robinson in Game 2 on Sunday.
League officials are also saying they don't expect Robin Big Snake to face a suspension for his actions in Game 3.
Comments
This is what happens in a non union league. I don't believe the officials in this league belong to a union either. Otherwise I can promise you there would be pressure put on the league to suspend the player.
Tony, he didn't touch the ref from what I now understand. He just gestured at him. Still doesn't make it right, but I don't think he should be suspended for that.
Blake,
saw the whole thing. When the linesman tried to grab ahold of Big Snake, he pushed him backwards. If he gets abuse of the official in a game, he should get a suspension. Just goes to show what the UHL really thinks of their officials. I guess the rules don't matter at this point anyways. Got a copy of the rule book right here, but I tipped it sideways and the etch-a-sketch erased part of it. Oh well, just another set of new rules ready to be written.
If this league were unionized...the costs would go up faster than a gallon of unleaded on Thursday! But then, it would likely force teams like Flint to have a trainer on the payroll. Also, a union would not guarantee a superior product on the ice. It kind of reminds me of a joke my late father told me about the auto industry in the 1970's "Do not buy a car that was made on a Friday or a Monday....because everyone is in a hurry to get the H*** out of there on Friday and everyone is still drunk when they return on Monday!!" All I can say, is Dad was a very smart guy...not very PC though!
Big Snit should be suspended, not only for what happened with the officials but hitting someone in the back of the head when they do not know it is coming is explicitly an attempt to injure.
Watson should have also been suspended for pulling his jersey off when he was leaving the ice, he knows the rules, i think it was just another instance of Rockford letting the league know they are above the rules, Mr. Brosal has no control over that team, its obvious.
You heard it here first, IMO something really bad will happen during Martinsons tenure and the UHL could have prevented it. Martinson is a goon and his whole team acts like the goon he is.
I say let them all play, that way when we beat them they have nothing to complain about, well wait, they'll come up with something.
I agree. The UHL doesn't seem to enforce much of anything. Rockford isn't the only team that gets away from that. What is the only team in the league that doesn't show their games on B2? Not to bring up an old topic, but we are disobeying the league. What has the league done to us? Absolutely nothing.
As far as not suspending Big Snake, that is ridiculous. Perhaps if a player, lets say Colin Chaulk did that (not that he ever would, because I don't think he would); perhaps in the heat of the moment accidentally; I could see the league not suspending him. But for someone that has been in trouble practically weekly from the league, it should NOT be tolerated. By allowing it to continue, unpunished, it will continue. Kind of like when a little kid does something wrong and you let it go... they do it again and again.
Blake said on another post that it is a hard job in the UHL office and they are doing the best they can...well then they should all be looking for new jobs. Have rules, enforce rules to everyone, not whichever way the wind blows, and stick to them. This league has had controversy after controversy this year. Uh, just look over at The Danbury Cheaters this year. That one went hush hush real quick. Also the whole Kalamazoo/Muskegon early tip for immigration paper scandel as reported by Rick Jakacki. That one will raise eyebrows too. But they are only doing the best they can. I know I will get fried for this opinion, but isn't what everyone is thinking and not saying?
Anyway. Go Komets...Kick Pig Arse.
I don't think you are going to catch much for that opinion. I have seen Peewee hockey leagues run with more consistancy than the UHL over the last few months. It is ok to say they are trying but it also ok to say they are failing.
What was the Kzoo/Musky immigration thing about Hit? I missed that one.
Here is the first part and I'll put up a link to a blog entry to sum up the rest of the story.
Brosal: New law doomed Thompson
By RICK JAKACKI
Times Herald
United Hockey Commissioner Richard Brosal tried to clear up any confusion Monday with the Briane Thompson case.
Thompson, a standout defenseman, was to join the Port Huron Flags last week. That, however, never happened since the United States government rejected his request for the proper immigration papers from Canada.
Every year, the government issues about 66,000 H-2B visas, which allow people from around the world to work in the U.S. Because of a new law instituted before this season, hockey players who have played any of the previous three fiscal years in the United States are deemed "returning workers" and can get their paperwork reissued and don't count toward that number.
Thompson played last season with the Kansas City Outlaws (UHL), but was not issued an H-2B apparently because the government had no record of him playing.
Last week, Brosal said Thompson didn't finish the season - when records show he did - after he was rejected for his H-2B. Brosal recanted that statement Monday, saying he was mistaken.
He said the Outlaws were able to get Thompson his legal paperwork, via the substitution law. Created for immigrant loggers, the controversial law - at least for hockey players - apparently allows for the transfer of names on H-2Bs.
Brosal said the government put into law this year a new rule which no longer recognizes players who used the substitution law. The league also changed its rules to follow in accordance.
Thus, Thompson won't be playing anywhere professionally in the United States this season.
I am having a time trying to find the exact blog on Jakacki's page. He basically said that Brosal tipped off someone at Muskegon and Kalamazoo of the rule change that was mentioned above about how the paperwork for immigration needed to be in line so teams could pick up extra players who were outside of the US. He claims that this is how Brian Thompson was picked up by K-zoo and I can't remember the player that Muskegon picked up, but to make a long story short... Jakacki was hinting the process is pretty involved and timing is the biggest issue and he felt that something really stunk about how 2 particular teams that were mentioned were ready for the rule change, and other teams were not ready for it. Maybe Blake can clear some of this up if he knows or cares to comment. Wish I had the article that Jakacki wrote as it was pretty specific of something not Kosher so to speak.
Lots of odd occurances in the U this year for sure.