By AJ Petronzi
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The Detroit Red Wings' Brendan Smith has been suspended for five regular season games plus the remainder of the pre-season for his hit on Chicago's Ben Smith on Wednesday night in Chicago.
Brendan Smith has never played an NHL regular season game and is not likely to start this season in Detroit. He is the eighth defenseman and having a two-way contract plus being immune to waivers means the promising young defenseman is doomed to playing in Grand Rapids until injuries open a spot in the Wings' lineup. However, Smith now will be forced to sit for five additional games whenever, or if ever, the call back to Detroit comes.
In Brendan Smith's defense, the hit against Chicago's Ben Smith was not quite as dirty as the Chicago Blackhawks made it seem. Ben Smith unquestionably made a last minute movement that caused the resulting hit to the head instead of the full body check Brendan was lining up. Under the NHL's new head hits rule effective this season, the hit is definable as "Reckless" and Ben Smith was knocked unconscious on the play and will also have his chances of starting his NHL career postponed an equal amount of time because of the concussion resulting from the hit to the head.
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The Detroit Red Wings' Brendan Smith has been suspended for five regular season games plus the remainder of the pre-season for his hit on Chicago's Ben Smith on Wednesday night in Chicago.
Brendan Smith has never played an NHL regular season game and is not likely to start this season in Detroit. He is the eighth defenseman and having a two-way contract plus being immune to waivers means the promising young defenseman is doomed to playing in Grand Rapids until injuries open a spot in the Wings' lineup. However, Smith now will be forced to sit for five additional games whenever, or if ever, the call back to Detroit comes.
In Brendan Smith's defense, the hit against Chicago's Ben Smith was not quite as dirty as the Chicago Blackhawks made it seem. Ben Smith unquestionably made a last minute movement that caused the resulting hit to the head instead of the full body check Brendan was lining up. Under the NHL's new head hits rule effective this season, the hit is definable as "Reckless" and Ben Smith was knocked unconscious on the play and will also have his chances of starting his NHL career postponed an equal amount of time because of the concussion resulting from the hit to the head.
Read In Play! Magazine Here
