Calgary Flames forward Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond suspended after illegal hit on Vancouver player
Calgary Flames had one of their forwards suspended, namely, Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond, after the right winger made an illegal hit on Vancouver Canucks player, Matt Clackson, from behind during the final period of a preseason game on Tuesday, September
20, 2011.
National Hockey League (NHL) senior vice president of player safety and former Detroit Red Wings forward, Brendan Shanahan, made the decision to suspend the player for the remainder of the 2011 preseason along with one regular season matchup on Thursday,
September 22.
"Letourneau-Leblond took a direct route toward Clackson, hit him squarely from behind into the boards and drove through the check high and hard", Shanahan said. "Clackson's back was turned toward Letourneau-Leblond well before the contract, requiring that
Letourneau-Leblond avoid or minimize the check completely. He did neither".
Letourneau-Leblond, a former New Jersey Devils 216th overall draft pick during round-seven of the 2004 NHL Entry Draft and player for three seasons was signed by Calgary Flames after becoming a free agent earlier this year in July.
According to Shanahan, he was suspended due to not only being a repeat offender for his first suspension on October 9, 2010, under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), Letourneau-Leblond’s hit was a clear violation of the newly drafted
rule, which deals with hits.
The new Rule 41.1 clearly states that applying a check to a player is only allowed if the opponent is not in a defenceless position and if so, he must avoid or minimise contact with that player.
The rule was implemented due to the injury epidemic in the lead which brought it under fire from the media and players, in order to minimise the raging number of concussions, such hits have been banned and strict action will be taken against offenders.
Along with the suspension, Letourneau-Leblond is forced to also give up $6,402.44 in salary, the amount for the games he will miss during the suspension. The forfeited amount will be going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Missing four remaining preseason games and a regular season game as it is, Letourneau-Leblond will be allowed to return with Calgary Flames against St. Louis Blues on October 10.
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