Red Wings Prospect Givani Smith Shoves Linesman, Will Probably Be Suspended
By Nick Seguin
6 years agoGivani Smith, the Red Wings 2nd round draft pick from 2016, found himself caught in an altercation on Tuesday night. It was the end of the second period and Smith’s Kitchener Rangers were up 3-2 against the Sarnia Sting. Smith, a known fighter, had dropped the gloves at the request of Sarnia’s Kelton Hatcher. When the linesman interjected to break the fight up, Smith clearly wasn’t done as he violently threw the linesman to the side to get to Hatcher.
It’s a very short video, but it shows enough. Shockingly, Smith was not ejected from the game, instead being punished with two minutes for cross checking (for a previous play) and five minutes for fighting. The OHL has very clear and strict rules on physical abuse of officials. Smiths’ actions certainly called for a game misconduct:
Rule 40 – Physical Abuse of Officials40.1 Game Misconduct – Any player who deliberately applies physical force in any manner against an official, in any manner attempts to injure an official, physically demeans, or deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall receive a game misconduct penalty.
In addition to this, I would be shocked if Smith was not suspended. There are three categories of Abuse of Official that require different levels of punishment in the OHL rulebook. Smith’s actions above likely fall under Category 2:
Automatic Suspension – Category II– Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner (excluding actions as set out in Category I), which physical force is applied without intent to injure, or who spits on an official,shall be automatically suspended for not less than ten (10) games.
So he’ll get at least ten games for this, maybe fifteen. It wouldn’t surprise me to see this extended into the playoffs.
This isn’t the best look for the young winger who will likely make his jump to the AHL next year. We’ve known for a while that Smith is a bit of a fire cracker on the ice, but this is a whole new level. You could say he’s learning a lesson, but they teach you in minor hockey not to abuse the officials. Not sure what he was thinking here.
Through 41 games this season with the Guelph Storm and Kitchener Rangers, Smith has 16 goals and 27 points. He’s projected to be a bottom-6 winger in the NHL.
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