P3L Suspended for Five Games
Kent Wilson
September 22 2011 03:21PM
Scott Cruicshank reported via twitter that Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond has been suspended for five games thanks to his hit from behind during the game in Vancouver on Tuesday. Leblonde was given a two minute boarding penalty and a 10 minute misconduct at the time.
The incident in question didn't result in any grave injury to the victim, but it could have. The act was unnecessarily dangerous so it's encouraging to see the NHL punishing swiftly and with a stiff penalty (relative to the old guard, at least). Also refreshing is the clear manner new disipline czar Brendan Shanahan chose to communicate the rationale behind the suspension:
I somewhat question how long the suspension would have been in the regular season or if the player had not have been a known pugilist P3L. That's mostly just cynicism left over from the Campbell era though.
As far as I am concerned the less he plays for the flames the better of the flames will be...
Love it.
I'm a Flames fan through and through, and I think that this suspension is more than fair. Hits like the one delivered by Leblond have the potential to seriously injure people, and need to be eliminated from the game.
Shanahan's justifications for the suspension are sound, and I'm so glad that Colin Campbell is no longer doing this job. Did anyone hear his interview on TSN a few months ago? Campbell, in my opinion, is not fit to be in any kind of leadership position in the NHL, based on what I heard during the interview.
I'll be interested to see how Shanahan handles the Shelly incident. I'm a fan so far.
Seriously, why is this guy even here?
I mean really, come on already, what decade is this?
This is what the team wants to concern itself with nowadys? Guys like this? Why don't we just bring back Sasha th eMasha Lakovic?
Ridiculous.
What a waste.
Excellent.
If Brendan Shannahan can hold all of his following disciplinary decisions to the same standard of thoroughness and professionalism as is in this suspension, the NHL will have just significantly increased it's credibility.
I don't think this could have been done any better, and the suspension itself is stiff but not absurd.
On a side note... I wonder what the production cost of that little video is? Much more than a .pdf on the NHL website that's for sure.
I hope he does the video review for all suspensions. Love it.
Awesome news, glad to see the seriousness taken on the matter. I hope they send P3L to the minors for the season
1 regular season game?
"Your just a 3 dressed up as a 9..."
Docked 1 day's pay? Pfft...
So if he gets assigned to the AHL how does that 1 regular season game play out? Will he have to sit a game in the AHL or will it carry forward until the next time he is on the Flames and serve it then?
I was hoping for 82 regular-season games :P
Actually Shanny got it right and I like the video explanation, especially the attention paid to the specific rule that was broken. Looks like Campbell's random justice era is thankfully over.
waste of a 5th round pick
im with you guys...man, the Broadstreet Bullies days are OVER. We Flames fans have been so starved for skilled hockey for so long! Look how we're foaming at the mouth over Baertschi and Backlund. I think we're all sick of P3L, Ivanans and that whole ilk. Give us some guys who can wheel and dangle. If i want to see some a-hole out to hurt someone, I get plenty of that at rec hockey.
--- I must say though, in defense of his even being here - how many 5th rounders realistically play in the NHL...if they do, they are just what P3L is, a hired goon.
I'll also echo anyone who's applauding Shanny's conduct in this matter - with the caveat that this MUST be a standard..and from listening to him, he's taken a very analytical approach to it. THAT's refreshing, and it hints that this will be how these matters are handled from here on in.
Good point - and I hope your point is just coincidence, hopefully this isn't a case of "Its 5 games cause 4 of them are preseason"...if this was mid-season, I dont want to see the same old same old 1 or 2 game suspension. Lets hope Shanny is serious and for real.
If some of you don't like the hitting and fighting go watch figure skating , or start a knitting class , fighting has always been in hockey , you keep changing the rules and pretty soon there will be no contact hockey , it's a joke what this great sport is turning into , leave the game alone get rid of bettman , get rid of the instigator rule , and if some of you weaklings don't like the fighting go start a book club ,
@Ron
lol
I do agree with this although I probably wouldn't have worded it that way lol. But I also think players like Ivanans and Leblond have no place in the NHL. I think fighting is fine so long as it's we aren't wasting contracts on pugilists, and other teams shouldn't either. The NHL needs more guys like jackman who aren't a liability on the ice and will drop the gloves for their teammates if need be. Fighting needs to stay Goons need to go.
Speaking of which anyone see the previews for that new movie coming out soon "Goon". I hope this doesn't inspire any goonery haha.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7z1ezk3kTg
I applaud the suspension, I love the Shelley suspension, the approach by video is a step toward what a professional league like the NHL should aspire to. All is good. I dont agree with everyone being so down on P3L. It was stupid but the kid is a tree trunk. Lets try to teach him how to use his size & toughness & guess what, if you can pull it off, you have a $550K monster that translates into a Bfuglien who suddenly was getting Norris Trophy consideration. I would rather spend $550K on a project like P3L than spend 4.5 million & 3.5 million cap hit on a Stajan. I would rather watch P3L than Stajan. End of story.
Apparently the Flames signed Elson and Martin today. Good for them.
However, I have no idea where the Flames are going to put all these blueliners. Check the number of guys on pro contract now:
Bouwmeester Giordano Butler Hannan Babchuk Sarich Carson Mikkelson Wilson Smith Breen Negrin Brodie Piskula Henry
That's 15 players!
The fact the Flames gave him jersey #24... Doesn't sit well with me.
If her were wearing jersey # 52... 65... 71... Then I'd feel he was not in the Flames regular season plans...
PL3 has no place on this team, the craziest Flames goon was Rocky Thompson! Long hair, missing teeth, and his posing after fights was hilarious.
PL3 deserved the 4 preseason games and one regular game suspension. I don't want that guy on my Flames team if he plays that stupid. If he wants to impress me, he should try and score a goal or two. I'm willing to give him another chance. What will come of it?
@Ron
"If some of you don't like the hitting and fighting go watch figure skating , or start a knitting class , fighting has always been in hockey"
I'd rather watch my team play the game and win, than watch the team heavyweight in a staged fight. Dressing guys like P3L is not a winning strategy. Personally, I get my fighting fix from MMA, but if staged drama is your thing, you might enjoy WWE.
Listen - there's a huge difference in being a gritty hard-ass pro hockey player, and being some hired goon making dirty plays and hurting people. If you're in the corner and dont like what the other guy is doing to you, hats off if you drop the gloves. Contact ABSOLUTELY has to be part of the game. A cross check to the back of someone's head, or "accidentally" elbowing an unsuspecting player in the head in open ice is just chicken-sh@t. - The Flames do not need a Matt Cooke, or Sean Avery type clown. Those people should be pumping gas.
"gritty hard-ass pro hockey player"
i.e. Dave Tocchett... Willi Plett... Tiger Williams... Dave Manson... Pat Verbeek... Scott Stevens... Brendhan Shanahan... Gary Roberts... Shayne Corson...Laurie Boschman... Al Secord... Jay Wells... Kris King... Ronnie Stern... Chris Neil... Brandon Prust... Milan Lucic... Shawn Thornton...
"some hired goon making dirty plays and hurting people"
Kordics (both)... Trevor Gillies... Boogardt... McIntyre... Ivanans... Rob Ray... Brashear... Cam Janssen... P3L....
Pretty clear disctinction... Correct?