Ovechkin Suspended One Game at Worlds

The hit appears at the end of this youtube clip. Looks reasonably clean to me and I don't think it would be punished in the NHL. Certainly no intent to do anything dirty like an elbow, though it is brutally blindside and at full speed. The Swiss player must not have realized AO would be coming out of the penalty box and I think #8 misjudged the contact somewhat.

Huh? the other guy had his head down!

If that was a dirty hit, Scott Stevens should have been suspeneded for his hit on Lindros a few years back.

Yeah, I'm not sure that's even a penalty, much less a suspension.

If he was just popping out of the box and surprising him I'd say its at least questionable. There has to be a larger measure of respect amongst atheletes to not take cheap shots. 5 on 5 I would have said he should have had his head up. I'd give him a game suspension just so every body knows whats acceptable and what isn't. I think head shots should be removed from the game. But keep fighting.

Meh... different leagues have different thresholds for penalties and suspensions. Clearly the bar in the Worlds is set a bit lower than it is in the NHL, which has a reputation for be a mighty rough league by European standards.

I think he would've gotten a penalty over here, though I'm not sure for what as there was no elbow involved, no boarding, no charging, no roughing, no high stick, etc. The kid just had his head down and wasn't looking where he was going.

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME! That's no foul. This is ice hockey, not a sewing class. Utterly ridiculous.

hit from behind? thats a horrible call, since when is a shoulder to the chin a penalty, especially a suspension?

007, of you think thats a cheap shot you should check your pants and make sure nothing went missing

I dont think its worthy of a suspension either - it clearly wasnt meant to be an intentional dirty hit. I can understand Ovie being called for a penalty on that, but a suspension?

www.capitaladdiction.blogspot.com

UHHHHH, are you serious? He was suspended for that? I've seen worse hits at my local grocery store.

Tarik:

Do you have any insight on Cap's Russian prospect Ivan Nepriayev?

He appears to be playing well with Ovechkin at the IHWC.

Might be a good 3rd line center behind Backstrom if he can be pulled from Locomotiv.

It's hockey, not the ice capades. If you have the puck and skate w/your head down, you are asking for trouble. No way was this intentional. Sh!t happens.

This clip shows multiple angles.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cvg_3jwqGMo

I believe hits to the head are automatic ejections in the IIHF rules.

It's pretty obvious Ovie got 90% head and nothing else. Probably didn't mean too, but he did. I don't think the ref's had a choice in the matter. I think the suspension is automatic as well.

That was a clean hit. It was just unfortunate that Ovie missed the body and cought him in the head. Ovie didn't throw an elbow he just took the wrong line and cought him up high. I can't imagine there is a player in any league that would not have attempted to take that player out. Hockey players need to have their head on a swival. It reminds me of the that hit Warren Sapp put on that GB player a couple of years ago.