Colorado Avalanche: Kerfoot Suspension and a Look at League Discipline

The Colorado Avalanche experiences a suspension-worthy penalty when former teammate Alexander Kerfoot boarded Erik Johnson.

Former Colorado Avalanche center Alexander Kerfoot has been suspended two games for boarding current Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson. This suspension represents the first of Kerfoot’s career.

I would also expect it to be his last. Part of that expectation stems from his apology and contriteness:

“First and foremost, I think I am disappointed in myself. It was a bad play.”

It was, indeed, a bad play. As you can see, and as the DoPS explains, Kerfoot has Johnson’s numbers in sight the whole way and is in control of the play. He could have stopped:

It looks bad. However, what you just see the beginnings of here, and what you can see better in this video, is Kerfoot hovering in concern over Johnson. What’s more, he apologized to Erik directly after the game:

“I feel terrible about the incident. I didn’t mean to do it by any means, but it’s a bad spot on the ice. I saw him after the game and apologized. There is not much you can say. You can apologize all you want but it’s something you shouldn’t be doing.”

Kerfoot also expressed that he hoped Johnson wouldn’t miss any time. Johnson missed practice today, and Jared Bednar stated he was doubtful for Wednesday night’s game.

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Anyway, besides the contriteness, my expectation stems from the fact that Alexander Kerfoot is simply not a dirty player. We saw him here in Colorado for two years, and I can’t remember a single incident that was even borderline dirty. He’s not overly physical or aggressive.

Nonetheless, it was a dangerous hit that Kerfoot could have prevented, so I’m satisfied with the two-game suspension. (Less so with the two minute penalty the referees assessed Kerfoot in the game. It obviously should have been a major, and you can see an irate Johnson arguing that with the officials in the linked video.)

That two-game suspension is about the only supplementary discipline the Department of Player “Safety” got right recently.

Just over a week ago, the Washington Capitals and Anaheim Ducks were playing. The game got contentious, resulting in a scrum. Washington’s Garnet Hathaway was forcibly pulled away from the scrum after dropping a Duck in a fight, but became engaged again with Anaheim’s Erik Gudbranson.

With Hathaway’s hands tied up between the officials, Gudbranson took the opportunity to sucker punch him in the face. Garnet didn’t respond well:

He responded by spitting at Gudbranson. That is gross. However, that Erik wasn’t injured the way ours was.

Nonetheless, the DoPS suspended Hathaway for three games. Garnet Hathaway received one extra game over Alexander Kerfoot for spittle.

The next example is even worse.

A couple games ago, the St. Louis Blues were hosting the Nashville Predators. Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo crosschecked Predators forward Victor Arvidsson into the Blues net because the Predator was poking around the St. Louis goalie.

Bortuzzo already received a penalty for that play — and he knew it. Nonetheless, in total frustration and aggression, he crosschecked a still-prone Arvidsson:

That’s just straight up assault. Arvidsson is expected to be out four to six weeks with the injury sustained from that second crosscheck.

Bertozzo has been fined twice for crosschecking already. He also received a three-game suspension for elbowing Capitals forward Michal Kempny in a 2018-19 preseason game.

That makes him a repeat offender, right? The Department of Player “Safety” is supposed to make examples of such players. He’s a known cross checker and one who was suspended within the 18-month time frame DoPS sets out for repeat offenders.

Yet he received only a four-game suspension.

So, according to the DoPS, spitting at an opponent is slightly worse than boarding one, but it’s only slightly less worse than assaulting a prone player with your stick. Even if you’re a repeat offender.

Good to know. Good to know all the Colorado Avalanche have to do is employ a goon to take out a star, or at least a good player, and he won’t receive much supplemental discipline. And even if he did, who cares? He’s a goon, and you could have a few more in the minors to fill in for these slap-on-the-wrist suspensions.

Next. Trade Review Barrie for Kadri. dark

Kerfoot deserved exactly the suspension he received because he’ll learn from the situation and never do it again. Hathaway deserved the maximum fine the league allows because his incident is very situational.

Bortuzzo? Get this clown out of the game for an extended time. As his paycheck takes a real hit from lost time, and he has to watch his team move on without him, he might actually learn a lesson.

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