As noted in yesterday’s prospect round-up, Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson was shaken up by a hit from Farjestads BK’s Pontus Widerstrom yesterday, and Widerstrom got a 5-minute match penalty for the hit.
Pontus Widerström åker på matchstraff. pic.twitter.com/02IeJyFIzc
— C More Hockey (@cmorehockey) October 30, 2021
According to Expressen’s Mikaela Lindhal, Widerstrom’s hit was reviewed by the SHL and determined to be punished enough by the 5-minute major. Henrik Lehman, a.k.a. Rakapuckar, posted an extremely sarcastic response to the decision, suggesting that “hockey needs players like Pontus Widerstrom, and it’s honestly kind of hilarious to read his “my Sunday was saved by the Disciplinary Committee’s decision” response.
Long story long, it was a dirty hit, dirty enough that Frolunda HC’s coach, Roger Ronnberg, got into a shouting match with Farjestad’s coach, Johan Pennerborn, when the two did a press conference together after yesterday’s 4-1 Frolunda win.
Most importantly, as IceHockeyGifs reported, Edvinsson is okay, though he was shaken up by what I would argue is a head-hunting hit (even if it was an ill-timed one):
Simon Edvinsson comments on the hit he received today:
— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) October 30, 2021
"-I don't think it's a dirty hit. It's up to me to protect myself. I wasn't able to really get up and brace for him."
"-I'm a bit dizzy but no big deal. Now we'll take it day by day." #LGRW https://t.co/QTrFz8fTOf
Pontus Widerström receives a 5 minute+game penalty for this hit that left Edvinsson shaken up and leaving for the dressing room. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/HW1SqWLPRm
— IcehockeyGifs (@IcehockeyG) October 30, 2021
We live in a different hockey world than the one where it was the responsibility of a player to keep his head up when going for the puck, and, again, Widerstrom may not have intended to hit Edvinsson so high (Edvinsson is 6’5″ and Widerstrom is 6’3″)…
But you’re not supposed to target another guy’s shoulder/head in a hit any more, and if you hit someone in the head as the principal point of contact, you should be penalized at the very least, kicked out of the game most of the time, and, in this instance, probably suspended.
As Lehman says, in his, “Thank you, Disciplinary Committee” article, the concept that a “north-south hit” still means that the player getting hit is the one responsible for getting hit in the damn head is outdated at best and dangerous to the health of skilled players who are just trying to do their damn jobs most of the time.
I can’t adequately translate the level of sarcasm in Lehman’s post, but it really is classic in its level of smarm toward the SHL’s disciplinary committee for insisting that it was Edvinsson’s fault for getting hit in the head.
