Fourteen hours after a hockey stick violently collided with his chin, Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg stepped onto the ice at the team’s practice facility yesterday afternoon. He knew how fortunate he was to be there.
“I feel very lucky. I’m just glad I have a hard head,” Hollweg said. “It could have been a lot worse.”
About 40 miles away, Islanders tough guy Chris Simon stood with his teammates at Nassau Coliseum and posed for the official team photo. But the next time he finds himself in front of a camera lens, a police officer may be taking his mugshot.
The office of Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice revealed yesterday that her office was reviewing footage of Simon’s cheap shot on Hollweg, and, pending that review, could charge Simon with a crime.
“The office is reviewing the incident and will try to complete that review as expeditiously as possible,” said Eric Phillips, a spokesman for the Nassau DA.
The incident occurred with just over six minutes remaining in Thursday night’s 2-1 Rangers victory at Nassau Coliseum. Simon was checked face-first into the boards by Hollweg, then got up and violently swung his stick in retaliation, striking Hollweg in the jaw. The 23-year-old remained down for several minutes as his blood pooled on the ice.
Simon was assessed a match penalty for deliberately injuring Hollweg, and could only watch from the locker room as Petr Prucha scored the game-winning goal on the ensuing Rangers power play.
Yesterday, the NHL suspended Simon indefinitely and without pay, pending a hearing today. League disciplinarian Colin Campbell refused comment on the incident.
“There’s no place for that in hockey,” said Hollweg, who complained of soreness in his neck and jaw, but refused to comment on the potential charges against Simon. “I don’t care who you are.”
The NHL could take Simon’s checkered past into consideration when evaluating his penalty. He has been suspended five previous times by the league, for kneeing, cross-checking (twice), elbowing, and allegedly making racial remarks.
Simon, 33, did not participate in yesterday’s Islanders practice at the Coliseum, and many hockey officials believe the 13-year veteran will be suspended for the rest of the regular season, if not longer.
“I don’t know what kind of person would do that,” said Hollweg, who is expected to play this afternoon against Pittsburgh.
“I play the game tough, but I can’t see myself ever taking somebody’s head off with a stick. There’s boundaries and there’s lines, and [Simon] definitely crossed the line.”
The incident was in many ways reminiscent of Marty McSorley’s brutal attack on Donald Brashear during a game in 2000, when McSorley, then with the Bruins, swung his stick and smashed Brashear (of the Canucks) in the head. McSorley also was indefinitely suspended by the NHL and later was found guilty of assault with a weapon by a Canadian court, but did not serve jail time.
“Hockey’s a spontaneous game, and things happen. Good people make mistakes,” said Rangers coach Tom Renney, who was careful not to say anything inflammatory about Simon, a former Blueshirt (2003-04), or about the charges the player potentially faces.
“Chris is a good guy. It was an act that was somewhat stunning, but it’s over with now and we’ll leave it at that.”
Rangers players and coaches were hesitant to give their opinions on the incident and its fallout, though one player did admit he hoped Simon would be suspended for the rest of the season and playoffs, should the Isles qualify.
The seventh-place Islanders hold a one-point lead over Carolina, and a three-point edge on the Rangers, and Toronto.
“We’ll just talk to the league and see what happens,” Islanders coach Ted Nolan said. “On something like that, you’re disappointed. It doesn’t matter who it is.”
The Islanders were going to issue a statement on the incident yesterday, but scratched those plans late in the afternoon. Simon and Isles GM Garth Snow refused to comment after yesterday’s practice.
“The whole Islander-Ranger rivalry isn’t gonna go anywhere,” Rangers winger Sean Avery said. “I think both teams disliked each other going into [Thursday’s] game, and I don’t think that’s gonna change.”