Didn't see a thread elsewhere on this. Griffin Reinhart gets a 4 game suspension for his high stick on Vince Trochek in the semi-final. Personally I think 4 games is pretty excessive. I've watched the video a bunch of times, and while in real time it looks like he intentionally smacks him in the face in slow motion it looks like he's trying to whack the puck and his stick "rides up" Trochek's stick. Obviously intent is the sticking point here with no intent it's a 0-1 game suspension whereas with intent it's 3-4. Could be interesting if he has a 3 game IIHF suspension looming over him going forward. Could you be left off future Junior teams or World Championship teams because of it?

Story:
http://www.tsn.ca/world_jrs/story/?id=412759

Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfGnMxuBo3E

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It certainly looks bad in real time, but you're right, if you watch the replay from the board side camera (around the 36 second mark) it is clear his stick rides up the other players stick. Not sure how you do that intentionally.

You could make a case he was trying to intentionally use his stick for something other than puck play (either a low slash or to knock away the other stick) but don't see this as an intentional head slash (ala McSorley).

Do they need to prove intentional slash to the head, or just intentional slash (with the results - e.g. hit him in the head - being inconsequential to intent, but playing a role in the suspension assessment)?

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There is no reason for him to slash anyone in that instance so I don't mind seeing some consequences. Just going out on a limb here, but if I owned some kind of antique sword (just an example) and I was swinging it around recklessly and injured someone, I am probably going to be held responsible for it.

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Hadn't thought about the intentional slash v. intentional slash to the head. It being the IIHF and not a criminal court I would doubt they break it down this technically.

I agree that players are responsible for their sticks and thats why when his stick hit the American he deserved, and received, a penalty. However when reviewing for suspensions intent is usually a large part and I don't see intent, or even reckless disregard for safety here, just a slash that took a bad bounce and hit the America in the head. Finally, as much as I hate this argument, the American skated off without injury. Given Boone Jenner's 3 games, and the other 1 game suspensions this tournament, 4 games for: an incidental high stick, without intent to injure, and no injury seems out of line to me.

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Definitely agree with you about the consistency but again there is no reason for a slash so what else could be the intent? He wasn't trying to kill a mosquito on his shin pad and he wasn't making a hockey play. Sure he didn't want to hit him in the face but he still made the decision to swing the stick.

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Unless I'm mistaken about the IIHF rules for suspension, they basically just cut Reinhart from Canada for next year's tournament.

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The IIHF is just trying to respond to criticisms and be more like the NHL in it's inconsistent suspension rules. This makes no sense but it isn't surprising. The biggest fine in IIHF World Jr history for that? Riiiiight.

Marouelli is one of the guys making the decision and he didn't even know the proper rules of the CHL when he was reffing there in the 80s. Never been a fan of him.

And I agree with you that there needs to be a consequence, but I think the 2 minute penalty was all that was necessary.

I guess I see 3 levels of offence each deserving their own punishment:
1. Intent to injure- player tries to hurt other player- the worst offence and is punished the worst because it can cause serious injure and in order to punish the action.
2. Reckless play- player didn't intend to injure but made a dangerous play that has a high likelihood of injury- 2nd worst- punished in an attempt to condemn and eliminate such plays in the future.
3. Infraction- play that draws a penalty- only penalized as the player broke the rules of the game. Most 2 minute penalties fall into this category.

The way I view this play he slashed at the puck/American low, its a play that happens 30+ times a game and is only sometimes called a penalty. There's no intent and it's not even reckless because until the freak stick-to-stick collision the slash is down. So under my (personal) analysis it's an infraction (2 minute penalty) and nothing more.

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G: Bryzgalov, Hiller, Fasth

He will have served one of those games tomorrow. If he has 3 games still to serve will be banned from the tournament?

To me it looked like Reinhart wanted to shove Trochek away as they were tangled up, but since Trochek kept sliding away the stick came around and caught his face as opposed to a stick and two gloves to the chest.

It looked bad for sure, but I didn't see any malice or injury on the play. I'm actually surprised he got anything more than his time in the penalty box so four games seems quite excessive.

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