John Haeussler wrote:
 
"I don't know if it's on tape.  If it is, we'll send it to the league.
That's not hockey.  That's terrible. ... It was a bad, bad penalty that
you should pay for."
 
Red Berenson said on his weekly radio show Wednesday that the film did
not have this play.  However; plays like this make the 5 minute major and
automatic game disqualification rule a bad rule.  College hockey badly
needs to revamp rules in situations like this.  The punishment is not
severe enough sometimes for some actions.  Bob Schwark is getting the
same exact treatment that Warren Luhning and Jason Botterill got for
their actions in previous games respectively against Ferris State and
Wisconsin.  I have the impression that Bob Schwark deliberately tried to
injure a player, and that Luhning and Botterill were only trying to
protect someone and DID NOT ATTEMPT TO INJURE.
 
To me in assessing penalties, this is clearly the most important decision
that the officials should make:  Is the player purposely trying to hurt
someone?  I feel strongly that if so, yes, the player should receive a
major penalty.  The bad thing about this that there is an automatic game
DQ resulting in a suspension based on the number of DQ's the player has.
 
I feel a game MISCONDUCT is enough.  The player should not AUTOMATICALLY
have to sit out the next game(s).  WHY YOU ASK??  Some of the major
penalties are not severe but deserving.  HOWEVER; in the case of Bob
Schwark, a move like that may or should warrant a more severe penalty
probably a suspension.  If you feel that I am in favoring of having the
Commissioners of the Leagues evaluate tapes of games to determine the
fate of that player, you are clearly with me.  Let's see in every arena,
a league representative videotape each game and if the move is shown, the
commissioner can properly evaluate it the following Monday or whenever.
Also, a representative could take note of what happened and prepare a
report.  The more severe the action; the longer the suspension.  A good
evaluation of the play can produce a legitimate and fair decision.
 
SIDENOTE:  College hockey also needs a match penalty for 10 minutes which
would also carry an automatic ejection from the game giving the opposing
team an extra man for 10 minutes.  This is like a 'death penalty' but
severe penalties like these could teach student-athletes what the
consequences can be for inappropriate play.  Why?  Suppose a player
bleeds from an intentional hit.  This is very serious and is always a bad
sight and should absolutely NOT be tolerated period.  Simply, it looks
bad for the player.
 
College hockey, in closing, is a great game.  However; the disciplinary
actions for inappropriate can sometimes be too harsh or too soft.  Maybe
two referees is the answer to our problems (People in CCHA land will not
agree as may others but it could work for the safety of the player's
sake.).  The game just needs a better system for handling major penalties.
 
If game disqualifications must exist, they should be for fighting ONLY.
A fight is much different since it is involving both players.
 
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Kenneth M. Baker
University of Michigan '96
RECORD: 19- 4- 0 (CCHA: 14- 3- 0)
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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