And he is on the horns of a dilemma.
Late in the third period, Shinnimin was given a major penalty and the accompanying game misconduct for a hit from behind on Saskatoon F Josh Nicholls, who crashed into the end boards.
Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix reports that Nicholls will “miss at least a week with a concussion and bruised back.”
Shinnimin was later suspended, with the length of the sentence to be determined.
What makes this situation somewhat interesting is that Shinnimin and Nicholls are two of the WHL’s leading scorers at this early point of the season. Shinnimin is tied with F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Red Deer Rebels for the scoring lead, each with 13 points. Nicholls isn’t too far off the pace, with 10 points.
In fact, it’s fair to say that Shinnimin is one of the WHL’s premier performers.
The hit — if you haven’t seen it, it’s right here — was a bad one.
So it will be interesting to see how Doerksen rules.
Somehow I think the ruling will come only after a sleepless night or two.
The Americans are scheduled to play Friday in Regina, Saturday in Brandon and Sunday in Moose Jaw. Obviously, Shinnimin will sit out those three games. After playing in Swift Current on Wednesday, the Americans won't play again until Oct. 19 when they entertain Calgary.
But so long as Shinnimin remains under indefinite suspension, there really is no rush for Doerksen to put a time frame on his decision.
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Unfortunately, it seems that it is going to take a suspension of some severity to wake up players in the WHL to the fact that checking from behind is a serious infraction.
It isn’t slashing. It isn’t hooking. It isn’t interference. It is a vicious, violent act, and one that has to be removed from the game.
As someone who was in the Regina Agridome on the night in which Brad Hornung of the Regina Pats was so badly injured, and who wrote extensively about that situation in its aftermath, I can tell you that the WHL doesn’t want to go through that again. Ever.
But the fact remains that these hits continue to happen. And they continue to happen despite the fact that the WHL has prepared a video showing all the dos and don’ts when it comes to checking. The video deals with blows to the head and checking from behind. It is mandatory that every player and coach in the WHL watch it.
The Blades, in fact, had their viewing on Tuesday. Nicholls was hurt the next night.
“If I wasn’t looking at where the puck was I think I would’ve had a broken
neck or it would’ve been pretty serious,” Nicholls told Cory Wolfe of the Saskatoon StarPhoenix. “You definitely don’t want to see things like that in the game of hockey.
“I don’t understand why people end up doing that. Everyone watches the video and you learn the consequences, so you don’t want something like that to happen to yourself. When guys are running around like that, you wonder what’s going through their heads.”
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The Saskatoon Blades have assigned G Adam Iwan, 17, to the MJHL’s Neepawa Natives. . . . That leaves the Blades with Steven Stanford, 20, and Adam Morrison, 19, as their goaltenders.
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QMJHL WHL team logo The Prince George Cougars took some of the pressure off their 20-year-old situation on Thursday by trading F Parker Stanfield, 20, to the Everett Silvertips for a sixth-round pick in the 2012 bantam draft. He had 100 points in 212 games with the Cougars. From Anaheim, he has four points in four games this season. . . . The Silvertips are at home to the Kelowna Rockets on Sunday. . . . The Cougars now are carrying four 20-year-olds -- D Sena Acolatse, G Morgan Clark, F James Dobrowolski and F Taylor Stefishen. . . . The Silvertips now have three -- Stanfield, along with F Clayton Cumiskey and D Chad Suer. . . . WHL teams have to be down to a maximum of three 20-year-olds on Oct. 14.
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gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
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