Storm player handed ‘bullying’ suspension by Tony Saxon

[hockey123]

GUELPH — Guelph Storm forward Cody McNaughton has been suspended for five games for bullying.
The Ontario Hockey League announced the suspension late Thursday afternoon.
The incident took place last Saturday in Owen Sound. Upset over some slashes Owen Sound Attack forward Joey Hishon had delivered earlier in the game, McNaughton dropped his gloves and delivered several punches at Hishon, who did not drop his gloves.
“We’ve established five games as a standard, or as a precedent, as it relates to bullying,” OHL vice-president Ted Baker said Thursday.
“We know Cody is a tough player and he’s also a skilled player. He certainly brings a number of things to the game, but some things just aren’t acceptable,” Baker said.
McNaughton got the news as the team hit the ice for practice at the West End Community Centre in advance of this weekend’s Eastern Ontario road trip that sees games in Kingston, Belleville and Ottawa.
After practice the Etobicoke native wasn’t too pleased.
“I guess I got what I deserve,’ he said. “I hurt the team. It was pretty selfish.”
McNaughton, who admitted he just snapped at the time, had hoped to at most get a two-game suspension.
But former Storm forward Matt Kennedy got five games earlier this year when he jumped Kitchener Rangers defenceman Dan Kelly.
“I need to control my emotions. It’s okay to play with a lot of emotion, but you have to counterbalance it a bit.”
Storm coach/general manager Jason Brooks watched practice from rinkside yesterday and wasn’t too thrilled with McNaughton’s actions in Owen Sound, which he watched on television.
“It’s a big loss to the team,” Brooks said. “Cody’s played well in a number of different situations. To lose him for five games over an incident that I’m gonna’ guess he’d like to take back is very unfortunate.”
Ironically, McNaughton is eligible to return Feb. 13 when the Storm plays in Owen Sound.
“Cody’s an emotional guy. That’s what makes him so valuable. Obviously Hishon just got under his skin, because that kind of thing isn’t really in Cody’s nature,” Brooks added.
Hishon admitted after Saturday’s game that he had slashed McNaughton earlier in the game.
In another twist, the Owen Sound Sun Times is reporting that Hishon won’t play in the Attack’s three games this weekend because he violated an undisclosed team rule.

[the octopus]

Did he take his lunch money and give him a wedgie too? That's ridiculous!

[AlphaDog]

Just another move to slowly get rid of fighting.

That's what the instigator is for. If a guy doesn't drop his gloves and fight back, the other guy is supposed to get 2+5+10, and nothing for the guy who didn't fight. Now it's a 5 game suspension...

Can I smell..... players luring others into dropping the mitts then turtling in order to get the guy suspended?

The rules in this league are a joke. That's the only think I prefer about the NHL to the OHL... (better rules, IMO).

[fishfan51]

Players in the NHL are grown MEN. The OHL has to protect the players because they are kids. Bullying, and head checks have nothing to do with fighting. If the OHL wanted to get rid of fighting they would give more the a five minute penalty for doing so.

[the octopus]

Hockey is an emotional game. They're making it so hard to get back at a guy. The above decisions lead to dirty, disrespectful play and more injuries.

[AlphaDog]

Originally Posted by fishfan51

Players in the NHL are grown MEN. The OHL has to protect the players because they are kids. Bullying, and head checks have nothing to do with fighting. If the OHL wanted to get rid of fighting they would give more the a five minute penalty for doing so.

Oh I agree that they need stricter rules because many of the players are still minors, I'm just saying that these new rules they bring into the OHL can be so twisted around so that they're not doing what they're supposed to do anymore. Like hitting from behind, players turn their backs at the last second to draw penalties. Now with 5 game suspensions, you'll see players suckering others into dropping the mids, taking some shots with the gloves on while turtled, just to get another guy kicked out for 5 games. The OHL never seems to think these rules through when they put them down on paper.

The main reason players dont' sucker others as much right now, is because even if a guy turtles, he often gets a 5 minute major for fighting even if he doesn't manage to get a punch off, then the other will get 2+5+10. If they started calling 2+5+10 on ONE player and NOTHING on the other who wasn't willing, the wouldn't have had a need for this 5 game suspension thing to begin with.

I could see this being bad in a playoff series. 'Line up next to another guy who you're having tussles with throughout the game, ask him if he wants to go at the faceoff, make it like you're all willing, as soon as the puck drops and both players usually drop 'em, keep your gloves on, drop to the ice hard after taking the first shot even if it's a weak one, and make it like you wanted no part of it. Voila... you get the guy kicked out of the series pretty much.

I'm not saying it'll be that bad, but the hitting from behind rule has proved that players will use the rule to their advantage not to protect themselves (which is what it was for) but to try and draw more penalties by altering how they play.