What really makes me angry…

From: Tom

Comments: I see that Kaip got fined, he deserved it, and Tordjman was suspended for 6 games.  Don’t blame him but you can’t do what he did so he deserves it.  What really makes me angry is that #27 Brent Gauvreau of Utah got nothing for injuring Morency.  His kneeing was deliberate and uncalled for.  Once again the ECHL officiating is really poor. Did the Condors approach the league for a review of the play Morency was injured on?

I’m a season ticket holder, 3 seats, and I’m going to have to really evaluate why I should renew when next year rolls around with this kind of bush league officiating from the game ref and the league office.

Reply: The situation with Morency is a little bit tricky. With Tordjman, it is a black and white case. Did he strike the official with his stick? Yes. Therefore it is a suspendable offense. The hit on Morency was not a knee. Morency was hit with a hip check, which as long as it is made hip to hip is legal. The replay is not conclusive on exactly where contact was made on Morency. He had opened up his body to make a pass, and got hit while he was in a tough spot. That does not mean the hit was necessarily dirty or was made with intent to injure. The things we love about hockey, including the speed and the physicality, also sometimes put players in dangerous situations.

For the most part, the refereeing has been fine. Obviously we wish that Morency had not gotten hurt and that Tordjman had not gotten suspended for so many games. At any level the calls will never be 100% accurate, and these refs are developing just like the players are.

These things have a way of working themselves out over the course of the year, and we can hope that the Condors start to get healthier as the season rolls along. Remember that we are not even 25% of the way through the year yet, so there is plenty of hockey to be played. We have a good group of players who know how to battle and won’t quit.

Keep your chin up,

-The Mailbag Guy