Sestito Match Penalty Revoked

[Digityman]

The UK Elite Ice Hockey League announced yesterday that it was rescinding the match penalty charged to Tom Sestito for a hit that led to the hospitalization of Hull Stingrays forward Andy Ward in a game on Sunday.

Upon reviewing the video footage (see below), the league determined that Sestito delivered a legal body check to the smaller player who went into the boards awkwardly and then hit his head on the ice. Ward was knocked briefly unconscious, and was hospitalized overnight with a concussion and lacerations.

I think the EIHL made the right call on this one. Although the end result was horrifying, there was nothing wrong with the hit itself. It was strictly shoulder-to-shoulder contact and it didn't even seem like an especially jarring hit until Ward topples to the ice. As the penalty assessed to Sestito was for checking to the head, the league decided to vacate the referee's ruling.

If the league had upheld the match penalty to Sestito, it would have carried an automatic three-game suspension.

[jammer2]

@Digityman The fights/scrums after every potential devestating hit have to go also. What happened to the old days when somebody hit your buddy and you take his number, bide your time and get him when the hockey Gods say it's ok to do so. This is ueber lame, this grab first and ask questions later.

[Spinorama]

edit: I saw a related video after I watched the fight where Sestito scored, got an assist and a fight. The announcer in the video seemed to be pretty high on him. The post game interview, I guess it was with the coach, was talking as if they had themselves a high powered player and not just a tough guy call up. Don't get me wrong, I really like Sestito and I'm glad he cracked the lineup, but I was just taken a little by the way he's portrayed in this video. good for him!

Edited October 26, 2012 by Spinorama