“I’ve played hockey for 30 years. I know a clean hit from a bad one. If it would’ve been a clean hit, I wouldn’t be cut.”
That’s what Slovan’s Miroslav Satan told the KHL press following his thumping by Lev’s Zdeno Chara during the teams’ match over the weekend. Satan did not return after being crushed in the second period and required stitches to mend the wound on his face. (You may recall that Chara and Satan were once teammates, on the 2009-10 Boston Bruins, prior to Satan’s departure to the KHL.)
On Monday, it was reported that Slovan, who won the game 2-1, wants the league’s disciplinary committee to review Chara’s hit:
Slovan want Chara’s hit on Satan investigated. Satan: “If it was clean, why do I have stitches on my face?” bit.ly/VuxaYj (7:00->) — Matias Strozyk (@MaStrozyk) November 5, 2012
Slovan want Chara’s hit on Satan investigated. Satan: “If it was clean, why do I have stitches on my face?” bit.ly/VuxaYj (7:00->)
— Matias Strozyk (@MaStrozyk) November 5, 2012
Watch the open-ice check yourself and be the judge. Does Chara target the head, or is Satan simply rushing out of his zone with his head down?
What do you think of Chara’s hit on Satan?
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As the KHL takes a break until Nov. 13 for national team play in the Karjala Cup and other international tournaments such as the Subway Super Series, the league announced its monthly award winners.
Ilya Kovalchuk was crowned October’s top forward, and Nail Yakupov – now competing for Russia against Canada’s junior stars – was named rookie of the month.
Forever-hobbled New York Islanders goaltender Rick DiPietro has denied Monday’s report that he suffered his 68th groin injury. (We might be exaggerating.)
DiPietro, who has played in one game and given up three goals in Germany’s second division this season, told the New York Post that the report was “not true at all.”
“I’m feeling good,” DiPietro wrote in a text message to the Post, “and I’m looking forward to the next game.”
Apparently, the Czech Republic isn’t flooded with copies of NHL 13:
Walking around Prague and got stopped a couple times… People thinking that I’m @jachobe. Where’s my bodyguard @68jagr? #Imnotthatugly — Claude Giroux (@28CGiroux) November 6, 2012
Walking around Prague and got stopped a couple times… People thinking that I’m @jachobe. Where’s my bodyguard @68jagr? #Imnotthatugly
— Claude Giroux (@28CGiroux) November 6, 2012
Original Six revelry: Enjoying time with a rival superstar doesn’t count if you’re in another time zone.
Pic of the week: Tyler Seguin explaining to Patrick Kane how to do the wave with the fans. Biel fans love them! twitter.com/ehcbiel/status… — EHC Biel-Bienne (@ehcbiel) November 5, 2012
Pic of the week: Tyler Seguin explaining to Patrick Kane how to do the wave with the fans. Biel fans love them! twitter.com/ehcbiel/status…
— EHC Biel-Bienne (@ehcbiel) November 5, 2012
Some NHLers overseas are on a pay-to-play program:
Patric Hörnqvist pays for his own insurance so that he can join Team Sweden in this week’s Euro Hockey Tour tournament in Finland. #Preds — Matias Strozyk (@MaStrozyk) November 5, 2012
Patric Hörnqvist pays for his own insurance so that he can join Team Sweden in this week’s Euro Hockey Tour tournament in Finland. #Preds
Is Joffrey Lupul having second thoughts about flying to Russia?
Tough to leave. I may be out of my mind… twitter.com/JLupul/status/… — Joffrey Lupul (@JLupul) November 6, 2012
Tough to leave. I may be out of my mind… twitter.com/JLupul/status/…
— Joffrey Lupul (@JLupul) November 6, 2012
Let’s check in with Paul “BritNasty” Bissonnette…
Trying to adapt to the UK lifestyle but not sure this soccer business is my thing. twitter.com/BizNasty2point… — Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) November 5, 2012
Trying to adapt to the UK lifestyle but not sure this soccer business is my thing. twitter.com/BizNasty2point…
— Paul Bissonnette (@BizNasty2point0) November 5, 2012
And here’s how hockey commercials turn out in Finland. The Pelicans are to Finnish YouTube what the @LAKings are to American Twitter: