Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Frattin Receives Suspension

As noted Monday, North Dakota forward Matt Frattin had a suspension coming to him. His flying hit to the head of Minnesota's Kevin Wehrs was illegal in every sense of the word, and it's still amazing it wasn't worthy of a game disqualification at the time.

However, the WCHA felt differently.

He received that suspension Monday evening.

Here is the information from the league.

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association today (March 15, 2010) announced a one-game suspension to University of North Dakota hockey player Matt Frattin as a result of his actions in the March 13 game vs the University of Minnesota.

Frattin’s suspension was determined as a result of a review of the incident under the WCHA’s Supplementary Discipline Policy and Procedures.

Frattin will be required to serve this one-game suspension in his team’s next regularly scheduled game on Thursday, March 18 vs the University of Minnesota Duluth.

There is no excusing what Frattin did. He left his feet and delivered a violent blow to an opponent's head.

While he shouldn't have been allowed to continue in the game, it was good to see a five-minute major penalty handed out at the time, and the league is taking the right action. Playoff games are more valuable than regular-season games, and sitting an important North Dakota player for the Final Five play-in game should not be a message taken lightly by fans.

Frattin has nine goals and 12 points over the last ten games, where the Fighting Sioux are 9-1. He is a talented, fast, tenacious player who drives his team with his speed and ability to make the big hits. Unfortunately for him and the Sioux, his desire to make a big hit went too far Sunday night.

It's not the three-game ban Aaron Marvin got, but it's a reasonable decision given Frattin's lack of history and the fact that we are firmly in the playoffs now.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Please check your facts before posting. As you can see in the following link Frattin did NOT leave his feet or raise his arms in the hit. The two players helmets hits. http://siouxyeahyeahforever.blogspot.com/2010/03/frattin-suspended-for-hit.html

DC said...

So you contend that his feet were on the ice, anonymous? I guess you'll have to wait to find out the truth when the video comes out in Braille. Good lord.

RR said...

Oh, so now it's just a helmet to helmet hit. That makes it so much better now doesn't it?

Saying Frattin didn't leave his feet is an asinine statement. You can take any frame you choose and say what you want. That's kind of like sayin Evel Kneivel's tires stay on the ramp the entire jump. Well sure they do when you stop the action right before lift off.

The amount of BS spewed by Sioux fans to justify a severely cheap and dangerous play is not surprising and pretty revealing.

Go Dogs

Anonymous said...

I'm a Sioux fan and I believe the suspension is justified. He should not have left his feet. I hope the kid is okay.

Anonymous said...

UMD and CC both lost players during the game Sunday for hits that were no where near as bad as this one. The WCHA needs to be more consistant with these calls. It can't be a five and game one place and not another.

crybaby said...

watch the video more carefully, when contact was made both feet were on the ice, arm hits wehrs chest, heads make contact. i think i learned in termites to always skate with your head up. its a charge and unfortunate injury. but quit being so dramatic

Unknown said...

crybaby,

Too a point I agree with you. The problem I have is that when it is someone like Aaron Marvin hitting Blake Geoffrion (caught with hit head down/shoulder to the head) then the sioux fan base is up in arms wanting suspensions, but when it is your own player a guy getting caught with hi head down is ok. I just want the sioux fan abse to be consistent. I don't think that is asking that much!

Anonymous said...

Nice comment by RR (evil kinevil not leaving the ground.) Seriously, this should have been a 3 game suspension. 3 games would have him a non-factor in the WCHA tournament. When the punishment causes the player to let the team down is when players will think twice about showing such flagrant disregard for other players. I really enjoy souix fans suggesting he delivered the hit before he left the ice. (Physics and intertia.)

RR said...

Crybaby--Try looking a little more closely at some of the pictures posted. Wehrs had his head up. But what the hell can a guy do when he gits hit by a guy who was coming full speed from just inside the blue line. Frattin launched himself into Wehrs. Charging? Hit to the head? Boarding?
Elbowing. Intent to injure? All that happened rolled into one dirty play.

Frattin looked more like a guy coming down the field on a kick off, taking a field long run at the kick returner. Then launching himself on the tackle. May work in football but that isn't hockey.

It really isn't even a debatable point in the world of reality. Action on a hockey rink doesn't happen stop action frame by frame.