Bruess Suspened for one game.

Seems to be a common reoccurring theme here. Uber Hack Trevor Bruess has been suspended for his actions on the ice last weekend. While some want to defend ths players actions there is no excuse for a player to runs around the ice kneeing people, you can ruin someone career in a heart beat. That is how all Pro Cam Neely's career was ended. I consider the kneeing penalty even more gutless than the checking from behind penalty.

When Minnesota State University Mankato was in Grand Forks to play this season a lot of fans were saying Bruess was leaving to go pro after the season was over. I am going to make a prediction; If Trevor Bruess pulls some of the bush league tactics I have seen you commit on the ice this season in the ECHL or the AHL you're going to get it handed to you.

MADISON, Wis. – The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) announced today (March 11, 2009) that Mavericks’ junior forward Trevor Bruess has been suspended for one game as a result of his actions in last Saturday’s conference game against St. Cloud State held in Mankato, Minn. Bruess will be required to serve his one-game suspension during Minnesota State’s next scheduled game at the University of Wisconsin on Friday, March 13.
– WCHA –

Here is the boxscore for Mr Bruess during last Saturday nights game. Two penalties for kneeing in the same period. I don't remember the last time I saw that.
MNS-1 Trevor Bruess (5-Kneeing) STC 0x1
MNS-3 Trevor Bruess (2-Kneeing) STC 0x3
MNS-6 Trevor Bruess (2-Roughing)

Another weekend another incident.

Greg Shepherd was to attend both games this weekend at REA in case something out of the ordinary occurred in this weekend's series between the Mavericks and the Sioux. Well it happened again, color me surprised.

At the end of last night's game between UND and MSU-M Maverick player Geoff Irwin broke his carbon fiber stick slashing Darcy Zajac. In reviewing the replay WDAZ/Channel 23 did not catch the slash on film you can hear the stick being broken over Zajac on the tape. This is straight out of the federal league on slap shot and is utter bravo sierra. There is no room for that type of a reaction in ANY LEAGUE this is totally unacceptable, this wasn't a bow tie cross check this was a full swing tomahawk chop with a hockey stick. If that was the NHL it would be a minimum of two games. Lucky for Irwin the linesman Nate Freeman was able to rescue him before Zajac could exact his pound of flesh.


If Mullen was suspended by DU coach George Gwozdecky for his slash on UMD's Mike Connolly, this has to be a at least a 1-2 game suspension and it is time for Troy Jutting to man up and admit his player was wrong.

Update on Mullen Incident

Here is the latest on the incident. What is there to be dicussed either give him a game(s) suspension or not. Like I had mentioned earlier, I was shocked that the WCHA failed to discipline Schack the hack who committed an egregious act, this is not to say that I condone this act of thuggery either, because I don't. What is to keep Denver from saying, "you have got to be kidding me?" You don't suspend Schack but you're going to sanction my player? In my opinion while slashing someone is not acceptable and should be punished, it is also not acceptable to jump someone from behind and beat them while they lay on the ice without their helmet. Both are classless acts and need to be punished.

(read the whole article here) Game officials Brad Shepherd and C.J. Beaurline gave Mullen a five-minute slashing major penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct at the conclusion of the game. They then asked Greg Shepherd and league commissioner Bruce McLeod to view a video replay of the incident to see if additional penalties were required.

The league and the University of Denver have discussed the situation since Monday, and the matter was being resolved Wednesday, said Nielson. An official statement from the WCHA is expected Thursday, said Greg Shepherd.

According to the Sioux fan's favorite Denver Post beat writer Mike Chambers it appears that Mullen will likely be suspended. So if my team is the Sioux Fighters is Denver the slashing hacks? Seems to be a pattern developing here.

DU senior defenseman Patrick Mullen is likely to join sophomore blue-liner Chris Nutini (upper-body injury) in the press box Friday night when the Pioneers visit Colorado College in a key WCHA game at the World Arena.

Mullen took a slashing major and game misconduct in the waning seconds of Saturday’s 4-2 loss at Minnesota-Duluth. Apparently that wasn’t enough, given that the game ended before his punishment began.

“It has not yet been established. There is a good chance he will be suspended (but) we haven’t determined yet how long the suspension will be,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said before practice Wednesday.

WCHA is not consistent in their rulings.

Chris Dilks over at Western College Hockey reports that Denver University’s Joe Mullen faces a suspension for his slash on Bulldog forward Mike Connolly.

Kevin Pates from Rink and Run reports that Mullen may recieve a one game suspension for his stick work on Mike Connolly.

University of Denver defenseman Patrick Mullen may be suspended for a game or more for using his stick to hit the arm of Minnesota Duluth freshman winger Mike Connolly in the final seconds of last Saturday’s Western Collegiate Hockey Association men’s game at the DECC.

Mullen's fate was being decided by WCHA and Denver officials Tuesday, said supervisor of officials Greg Shepherd from St. Paul. The Denver senior, the son of NHL Hall of Famer, Joe Mullen, is expected to receive the ruling today.

Connolly, from Calgary, Alberta, had pushed the puck toward an empty Denver net with two seconds to play in a 4-2 UMD victory. He then fell to the ice and Mullen wound up and hit Connolly's arm with his stick, which earned Mullen a five-minute slashing major penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct from referees Brad Shepherd and C.J. Beaurline at the game’s conclusion.

On Sunday, the referees asked Greg Shepherd (Brad's father) and WCHA commissioner Bruce McLeod to look at the incident on video tape. The league has since recommended a sanction to Denver, regarding Mullen, and is waiting to hear if the school has accepted the punishment, said Greg Shepherd.

Seems that the WCHA is a little inconsistent in their rulings, first for not giving Brian Schack an additional suspension for his Todd Bertuzzi style attack on Channing Boe and then they MAY give Mullen an game suspension for his slash on Mike Connolly. This doesn't pass the smell test. I guess your better off attacking someone from behind than hitting them with your stick?

Star Tribune misses major point.

Seems that the Star and Tribune missed the part where Gophers player Brian Schack attacked a player and punched him as he lay on the ice without his helmet on. Now, I am not saying the checking from behind penalty wasn't blatant because it was, however, Boe's actions don't warrant being attacked much like Steve Kampfer was. If Brian Schack wanted to fight Boe, Schack should have challenged him to a fight like the code dictates. I believe that would have been a more appropriate response.

The final period also had a melee in the eighth minute. Six players received penalties and one of them, sophomore defenseman Channing Boe of the Mavericks, was taken off on a stretcher. After the game he was on crutches.

Looking for a positive, Anderson said: "The good thing about getting your butt kicked on Friday is you can come back and try to salvage something [tonight]."

Check out the comments for this article as well. Holy cow! It would appear that not all is well in Minneapolis. Here is a really beauty of a comment, blame the Canadian kids eh? What the hell is that? That we can violence in the WCHA can be blamed on Canadians? Schack is a Minnesotan and just committed one of the most heinous acts I have ever seen in a college hockey game. Schack's act is right up there with Todd Bertuzzi's attack on Steve Moore.

Huh?
Must have a lot of basketball players that comment about Gopher hockey on here...if you can't handle the physical aspect of ice hockey go watch the elementary girls basketball game at your local school! I say it's about time the Gophers start standing up for themselves with the physical play...many times over the years they have been the team that gets pushed around. As far as Schack goes, if you check a kid in the back you better expect you're gonna get yours...and Boe did!! I don't want anyone getting hurt, but its a part of the game. With influx of Canadian kids in college hockey(not the Gophers mind you) you better be ready for more of that type of play! Fire Lucia...if you are one of the people saying that this is to be blamed on the coach...you really don't know much about sports, especially hockey!

Lastly as Siouxweet said not a word on USCHO.COM or College Hockey New about this ugly incident from last night. Why not? If the Fighting Sioux had been involved in this ugly incident it would have been front page news on all of the College Hockey web pages.