The Chicago Blackhawks played host to the Detroit Red Wings in Wednesday night’s pre-season matchup at the United Center in front of the second largest UC pre-season crowd in franchise history. The game wasn’t short of intensity, nor debate. The rivalry is deep seeded in the history books, and it looks to be growing every time the two teams meet up. Unfortunately two young players would see their last game of the year.While the Red Wings fielded a quite different look as the majority of the team was represented by its youngsters, the Blackhawks looked in true form having most of their stars on the ice for the home game.
"I saw the lineup they dressed and I didn't know it was opening night," Detroit head coach Mike Babcock noted.
The Hawks didn’t disappoint as they came back from a 3-1 deficit for the victory on a 5-3 powerplay tally by Marian Hossa. The powerplay itself stemmed from an unfortunate hit by Detroit prospect Brendan Smith to Chicago prospect Ben Smith.
Patrick Kane got the Hawks started with a powerplay goal with a behind the back pass from teammate Jonathan Towes. The Wings answered quickly on a powerplay goal of their own as Fabian Brunnstrom scored the first of his two goals on the night with a skate deflected shot off Nystrom’s stick. Brunnstrom has been working hard to give the Wings no excuse but to sign him to a deal ahead of the season. After Drew Miller scored in the second, Brunnstom would net his 3rd of the pre-season on the rebounded shot by Cory Emmerton as once again Brunnstrom dug into the net.
After Brent Seabrook’s tally, it would be would be the young winger Ben Smith to bring the two clubs even at 1:29 of the third period as he raced to a wild re-direct off of the glass to beat Detroit netminder Ty Conklin. This would unfortunately be Smith’s first and last goal of the pre-season.
A few minutes after the game tying goal by Ben Smith, Detroit’s own prospect Brendan Smith would lay a hit to Ben Smith that would see them both off for the rest of pre-season and then some. As Ben Smith raced into Detroit’s defensive zone, Brendan Smith would line up a hard hit to take his opponent off of his feet. Just before the two collided, Ben cut in toward the center and was train wrecked by Brendan. The last second change in speed left Brendan’s high hit a bit too high as he caught Ben directly in the side of the head with his shoulder and arm. Ben instantly dropped to the ice belly-down, and slid through the zone face and belly down.
As trainers rushed to the aid of Ben and brought him to a wobbly and obviously concussed upright position, the referees assessed the damage without hesitation. Brendan would be sent off the ice with a 5 minute major penalty, and a game misconduct.
You could see it in the eyes of the youngster as he walked down the bench and out of the game that he knew what the repercussions would be. When Doug Janik received a 2 minute minor penalty for holding at 8:25 of the third, the Wings were down two skates – giving Hossa the successful opportunity to clinch the game in front of the home crowd. "Is there any responsibility on the puck carrier -- toe dragging, sliding sideways -- to look after himself," Babcock said after the game. "I'm not saying our guy isn't guilty, but you'd better not put yourself in those situations. I think we better not take the onus off the puck-carrier,”
"He was trying to make body contact, but their guy did this and left his head there." Babcock added while jerking his head to the side to imitate Ben Smith's motion just before the impact.
"I watched [the reply many times. What’s the onus on the player with the puck?”
As Babcock stood by his mans intentions, head coach Joel Quenneville had different opinions.
"Both referees said that's a classic example of what we're talking about, that's the illegal hit, it was pretty black and white, I’m not happy about it.
"I think there's no protection in your head and we're trying to eliminate that type of play," he added. "Guys can get a little bit more vulnerable from that hit from behind that might be a little bit different, but you're in the open ice, it's a 1-on-1 play, it's tough to get a hit like that. So I don't know if you should necessarily be protecting your head when you're basically in a tight area with one guy. It wasn't like it was a trailer or backchecking pressure that got him."
The league has gone through a mass carnage of suspensions, and the Red Wings organization was left waiting while senior VP of player safety, Brendan Shanahan, decided the punishment.
Shanahan finally reached his decision as Brendan Smith was banned for the rest of pre-season, and five regular season games for the hit. The rookie defenceman will forfeit $23,648.65 in line with the CBA, and is eligible to return to Detroit's lineup October, 22 at Washington.
This suspension marks a whopping 29 total regular-season games suspended, and more than $660,000 in lost salary and the regular season hasn’t even begun. Most are quite content with Shanahan’s bold approach and transparency through all of it as he cracks down to make the game a safer and better place.While positions on the matter vary, Shanahan’s point was clear – any hit to the head is illegal, and suspendable. Detroit’s Mike Babcock and many other felt the result was a bit heavy.
“I thought it was a little extreme, to tell you the truth,” Babcock said of the suspension. "I still believe when you're a left-handed guy (like Brendan Smith), chasing the guy and you put your stick down on the puck … so, stick-on-stick, body-on-body … and the guy pulls back -- he's got some responsibility in this area, as well,"
"In saying that, we're not condoning anyone getting hit in the head with someone's shoulder or any of that. Brendan's going to learn from this and move on."
"It's a very fast play with both of us going full-speed," said Brendan Smith.
This was a proving time for Brendan, a crack at the NHL club in his early career. Taken in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft by the Red wings in 2007, 27th overall. Smith has high expectations as he is a highly skilled player that is a key piece to the future of the Wings.
"It's a tough play, but obviously, I was never targeting his head. I feel terrible about the outcome of what happened and I actually got in touch with (Ben Smith) and just apologized and said, 'In no intentions did I try to do that. I was just trying to outplay that man, and try to make sure that he didn't get to the net and not let him score," he continued. "Obviously, some things can go wrong and that was the worst possible thing that could happen."
Smith played quite well through his four pre-season games of 2011-2012, tallying two assists with a plus/mine +0. Though he didn’t stand a great chance of making the Red Wings roster this early at the young age of 22, the 6’2 190 lbs. puck-moving defenseman had some valuable lessons in conditioning and decisions at the NHL level. After signing a three year entry-level deal with the Wings in 2010, he appeared in 63 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins netting 12 goals and 20 assists for 32 points and a +7 rating.
The great unfortunate fact is that once this hit was made, the hockey world knew it was likely that last moment we got to see either player at the NHL level for the year. Though chances are good for either player to make appearances later on or spread out through the season via call-up, the two of them, their respective teams, and the fans were robbed of a few more games in which these kids could shine.
Ben Smith was selected 169th overall in the 6th round of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Chicago Blackhawks. In four games through the pre-season Ben bettered his rival Smith with one goal and one assists and a +1 rating. Through 63 games with Rockford in the AHL last year he accounted for 19 goals and 12 assists for 31 points and a -3 rating. He also appeared in six NHL games last season, as he recorded his first ever NHL goal.“Ben’s okay… I guess okay,” Quenneville said. “We don’t want to put a timeline on him. It’s tough to say [when he could return].”
Though the complete extent of 23 year old Ben Smith’s injury hasn’t been publicized, teammate of (Ben) Smiths’s have had reactions of their own.
"You knew it was going to be up there," Hawks forward Patrick Kane said of the suspension. He made his first appearance for the Hawks since his wrist surgery in the off-season where he looked as he hadn’t missed a step. Kane played center between Marian Hossa and newly acquired Andrew Brunette. He collected a goal and an assist in his 2011-2012 debut. "I think we thought 10-plus (games). I guess they're pretty serious about what they're issuing these days. It seems like Ben is doing better, so hopefully he won't even be out that long. That's one thing you don't want to see, is the guy who gets hit is out longer than the guy who gets suspended."
Veteran Blackhawks checking-line winger Jamal Mayers echoed Kane’s statement. The 36 year old has played in 13 NHL seasons, never having been suspended.
"My own personal rule is if I can't get at least half of the body, I don't hit the guy," Mayers said. "What happens is you stick out a knee, an elbow or even your shoulder and you get a piece of someone. So either you're going to get hurt or you're going to hurt someone else. Try to get at least half of the body."
Brendan Shanahan gave Brendan Smith the benefit of the doubt in the sense that he believed his intent did not line up with the physical act, and also that he was not a repeat offender prior to this game. The suspension still stands, being one of the more harsh calls on the year for Shanny.
While I’m in complete agreeance that Smith deserved a suspension of some sort, this is a prime example of why it is, and why it will continue to be hard to eliminate shots to the head. When a player is committed to a hit at full speed and his opponent changes speed or direction – or both in this matter – the only possible cure is in that of a complete change in the way players are taught to hit at the grass-roots level.
This is obviously Shanahan’s push. The unfortunate fact is that a hit to the center of chest is a hit to the center of gravity. i.e. the best and most effective way to knock a player off balance. Players must find a way to leave hits lower, there is no doubt, but what I’m hopeful for is a complete awareness from players who know they have a hit coming to them.
“Obviously, Shanny has taken this real serious,” Babcock said. “But there’s going to be an evolution in this too, and we understand that. It’s just like when you have a new rule, it takes players awhile to adapt. I think they’re trying to do what they think it right. So we didn’t offer an opinion.”
- Kendall Grubbs
photos and video from NHL.com
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