khl update

Well, actually, this isn't really an update, as they've been shutdown for some Euro-tour* since Tuesday.  But there is something off the league website I wanted to share.

On Monday, at the offices of the Kontinental Hockey League, the Disciplinary Committee held a meeting to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident which took place during the previous day’s game between Dinamo Minsk and Vityaz. Toward the end of the game, after Dinamo scored its third goal, some Vityaz players initiated several conflicts on the ice, after which a further confrontation took place, this time between local supporters of the Minsk team and the head coach of the visiting team.

Having heard all versions of the incident and studied all the available material (including the official game report, the report from those overseeing the game officials, a letter from the Director of Vityaz, video footage from the game, representations made by both clubs, video footage posted on the Internet, and television footage), the KHL Disciplinary Committee decided on a number of measures to be taken against those who participated in the aforementioned disorder:

At this point, they list the infractions that were handed out game time and for the most part upheld to FIVE- count'em five- players on the Vityaz side.  It continues:

- with regard to Vityaz head coach Andrei Nazarov: the Committee decided to rescind one punishment of a game penalty (25 minutes), for his confrontation with the spectators, and instead a game misconduct penalty (20 minutes) for ill-disciplined behavior, but to uphold the other game penalty (25 minutes) imposed on him by the officials for offensive behavior. In addition, Andrei Nazarov must pay a fine and is disqualified for two games.

Now, those of you that have followed my KHL stories thropugh the Aeons know that Vityaz is the alleged "Russian Mafia" team, and stocks itself with the low-rent thugs of a dozen leagues, so even the aforementioned crimes are not terribly surprising.  What the KHL does next, though, is something I wish to God American sports would do:

The refereeing of the game was analyzed and judged to be unsatisfactory. The KHL Disciplinary Committee regretfully acknowledges that refereeing errors directly contributed to the unfortunate incidents at the end of the game. The referee and the linesmen face disciplinary action and will also be financially penalized.

I have long been an advocate of referees being PUBLICLY responsible.  The poor showing of NFL refs this year and the constant joke that Big Ten and Pac-12 officials are in every major sport BEG for this to be instituted.  Somehow in America, we've developed the idea that the game official should be publicly sancrosant, and it allows them to hide when their actions allow outcome of a game to be affected (such as the Big East game in which both on field and replay officials claimed that an extra point- clearly shown to be good on film- was missed, costing a team a win in regulation ion a game they lost in OT.  I'd still like to know when beer sales in the replay booth are suspended after THAT one.)  At least in MLB, umpires are honest enough to admit when they f up.  C'mon, NCAA and NFL!
Don't be afraid to discuss referee discipline- IT CAN ONLY MAKE BETTER OFFICIALS!


The Kontinental Hockey League must also mention the ill-disciplined behavior by a group of Dinamo Minsk supporters, which was particularly unexpected in view of the good reputation earned by hockey fans in Minsk, thanks to their previous friendly and exemplary behavior, their appreciation of hockey and the respect shown towards players and coaches from all teams. While in no way excusing the behavior of some the Vityaz team, the KHL must condemn as unacceptable the actions of a certain group of spectators.

The Disciplinary Committee examined a proposal from some of its members that Dinamo Minsk should play a number of games without spectators (WOW!); however, the Committee decided that it would be unjust to deprive thousands of supporters of the chance to watch their hockey team because of acts of disorder committed by a few hundred. In accordance with KHL regulations, financial sanctions will be imposed on HC Dinamo Minsk.

Can you imagine watching a Cleveland Browns or Philly Flyers game without any fans??!!  Kudos to the K for even considering such an act!

The Kontinental Hockey League also expresses its dissatisfaction with the performance of the Dinamo Minsk security staff, and with regard to this issue further measures will be taken.

Man, they just aren't pissing around here!
*In an effort to not be the stupid American, the Euro Hockey tour is a set of 4 mini-tourneys between the national teams of Russia, Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic, spread out in four short bursts over the course of the season.  This current set-to is a round robin that openned Thursday and plays in Sweden and Helsinki.  In the openers, Alexander Radulov got 2 goals, the second in a shootout, to give Russia a 2-1 win over Finland;  while former NHL star Peter Nedved and current star of first-place Amur Jakub Petruzalek scored 2 times each for the Czechs in a 5-2 win over Sweden.  It'll be Russia /Sweden and Czech/Finland tomorrow and Russia/Czechs and Sweden /Finland Sunday tro round it out.