This is Scary
Hockey, Video November 5th. 2009, 12:45pmBen Fanelli, a 16-year-old hockey player for the Kitchener Rangers, suffered “skull and facial fractures” and is in serious but stable condition after this violent hit by Michael Liambas of the Erie Otters. Liambas has been suspended for the entire season. [CBC]
80 Responses to “This is Scary”
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November 5th, 2009 at 12:49 pm
Too bad we didn’t get to see one of that kid’s teammates exact revenge on Michael Liambas.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Hockey post.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
Why would Liambis be suspended for the season? Doesn’t know the rules in re to this.
Shouldn’t the kid who got smoked been as they say “head on a swivel?”
btw-what a hit.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Why? Was the hit illegal? I don’t watch a ton of hockey so maybe I’m wrong, but seems to me that you see checks like that behind the net all the time.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
That shit was terrible to watch. I have the OHL TV package and flipped to this game during the aftermath of the hit.
Liambas is apparently totally depressed about what happened to the kid. He’s a guy who was in his final year of OHL eligibility and had no hockey prospects beyond this year. He doesn’t have a reputation as being a dirty player at all. The hit was penalty worthy but the injury is mostly attributable to bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time, helmet not strapped on properly, etc…
November 5th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
yea looked like the kid against the boards moved right as the check was coming so he got his head isntead of his body
November 5th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Claude Lemieux approves of this play.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
hoc-key? Where am I?
Yeah I dunno Bear, it looks like the Kitchener kid turned his back on the other guy.
BTW, only in Canada is junior hockey televised. Love that country.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
What happened to that hockey writer TBL was getting?
Is this him?
November 5th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
not even close to the dirtiness of that hit.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
The hit was worthy of a major charging penalty as Liambas took way too many strides and came in way too hard on the hit. The hitting from behind aspect is on both of them. Fanelli is at fault for turning his back and not being aware of the incoming hit, Liambas is at fault for charging in and leaving himself to no time to alter his angle or pull-up on the hit.
I don’t agree with the full-year suspension.
November 5th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
fuck lemieux.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Looks like the kid hit his head on the glass support. That’ll do damage.
Sure doesn’t look like a dirty hit.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Love that country.
Get out, now.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
What does the mean too many strides? I’m being serious. Does it mean he got to big of a run-up to the hit? Is that really illegal? Is that the same at all levels our just the younger levels ?
Too many questions sorry.
/Don’t know a lick about hockey
November 5th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Depends on who you ask. Liambas was blatantly charging after the guy and intended to knock his head off.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
suspended for the year? dont know about that
November 5th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
November 5th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
Was that a clean hit? It didnt look like he did anything wrong there. Except for face fucking that poor kid. but it looked clean.
/doesnt know shit about hockey unless its the controls to NHLPA hockey on Sega.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:04 pm
my two cents: I really don’t think the hit was worthy of a season long suspension. David Branch fucked up on this one. If the Kitchener kid had gotten right up off the ice, there would have been a boarding call and a minor suspension. I just don’t like seeing the result of the play influence the length of the suspension.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Liambas was blatantly charging after the guy and intended to knock his head off.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Thanks Garland … If that’s what the rule book says, then I guess it was an illegal hit
November 5th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
Agreed, but it was definitely worthy of some sort of suspension. The year long suspension was a result of the injury the kid sustained.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:06 pm
It’s not a dirty hit. I’d call it reckless, cause as GG says it’s a charging major waiting to happen, but the injuries were more accidental than anything.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Charging, yes. Trying to take his head off? Doubt it. Like I said, there’s no history of this kid being a dirty player. He’s a fringe player who has to earn his spot in the lineup every night. His role was to forecheck aggressively. He went too far and bad luck intervened. Like I said, wrong spot on the ice (glass support), wrong time (just as the player turned his back, which he shouldn’t have done), Fanelli’s helmet was secured properly.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Urban Meyer would have suspended this kid for one shift.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
They’ve been working on removing hits from behind at the junior level for YEARS up here. They have jerseys with a stop sign on the back. If you see the stop sign, don’t drill the kid.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Todd Burtuzzi just got a hard on.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Fanelli’s helmet wasn’t secured properly.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
HOCKEY POST! HOCKEY POST!
This is just a test, right? Like an emergency broadcast system thing? Just to see how many people actually care about hockey.
Let’s get to 300 comments! Maybe we’ll get a hockey post once a week!
November 5th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Looks like i’m a minority in saying that was a fucking terrible hit. He was heading hunting in my opinion, no attempt to go for the body.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Arent kids supposed to be wearing cages n shit?
November 5th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
94 was the shit
November 5th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Totally correct. My son has been playing full contact since he was nine and they teach you this before you ever get in a practice or game where hitting is allowed. Worth noting, they also teach you never to turn your back to an oncoming hit.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Not a dirty check either. Wasn’t from behind. Didn’t use his stick and didn’t board him.
Kid got blasted though. Wow.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Only if you’re under 16.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
/Pours some out for my homey NickP
November 5th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
he then jumped up and said “The Aristocrats!”
November 5th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I watched the video a few times and, to me, it looked like he raised his arm with the intention to hit the kid’s head.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
Was thinking the same thing.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
MMA is less dangerous.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
OHL only mandates visors. The IIHF (international body) mandates full cages for junior players under the age of 18. A full cage definitely would have helped this kid and, as an OHL rookie, he had worn one for his entire life up until entering the OHL.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
SC: whatever happened to that idea I had for you, btw?
November 5th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
You could also probably suffer skull and facial fractures from taking a vulcanized piece of rubber off the face at 100 MPH.
It’s the dangers of playing hockey. Still don’t think this is a dirty hit. Don’t see intent or malice from the kid that delivered the blow.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I knew I was off when I said that it was only under 16s that had to wear one. I believe Ryan Ellis had to wear a full cage at the world juniors last year.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
What a bunch of thugs.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
JPQ: Check your e-mail.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
Yeah, all the under 18 guys in the World Juniors have to wear them. I remember Crosby and Tavares wearing them in previous tournaments.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
them damn vulcans and their rubbers!
November 5th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
You’ve obviously never seen the Jeff Kugel video. I’d link to it if I wasn’t at work.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:25 pm
This post has officially more comments than the NBA post.
WE WILL HAVE OUR COMMEUPANCE!
November 5th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
hockey is teh gay.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
Says the guy that blows Sergio Garcia.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
you can be a fag and not be gay, you know.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
WE WILL HAVE OUR COMMEUPANCE!
If it’s white, it’s all right. If it’s black, send it back.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
You know Spence, the Blue Jackets are pretty good this year. Might be the best team in Ohio. Especially since Brutus throws better than Terrelle.
That LeBron guy isn’t… you know… good and stuff.
/yeah, I got nothing there
//Blue Jackets more interesting than Cavs basketball though
November 5th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
i’ve seen a lot worse hits than that. hardly deserves a year’s suspension. that’s almost as harsh as the hit.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Think the Bengals are better than the BJs.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:35 pm
Says the guy that blows Sergio Garcia.
you can be a fag and not be gay, you know.
spencer: you on the DL?
November 5th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I’m ordering that book right now JPQ. You watch the Obama thing yet?
November 5th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I couldn’t name you one player on the Blue Jackets and they play in my own state.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
I’m ordering that book right now JPQ. You watch the Obama thing yet?
tagguchi: no, unfortunately, it’s still in it’s starting position on my DVR, ready to go. I gotta find a time when I can get 2 hours free to watch it. Did you watch it? any good?
November 5th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
PLSK – Rick Nash is a fucking stud.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
Was it a charge? Yes, but I don’t see any intent to injure, so a full season suspension seems too much. If he’d left his feet and used his stick that would be another story, but this was a hard hit,deserving of a penalty, that unfortunately turned out really bad.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Get that guy the fuck out of here. That is not a hockey play. That is thuggery.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
jpq…na, just a south park fan.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
It’s a little long. Hilary comes off as a bitch (surprise surprise). It really makes you like/laugh at some of his volunteers, and it does a real good job of showing how hard it is to run (very frequently you get a clearly about to fall over and die Obama he’s so tired). I enjoyed it, but I’m not sure if I wasn’t a supporter of his it would be the same.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Agreed. Can’t wait to see him suit up on the top line for Canada in the Olympics.
November 5th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
taguchi: thx. I’ll probably still catch it because I tend to really like docs.
very frequently you get a clearly about to fall over and die Obama he’s so tired
I remember thinking last fall how the fuck was a 72(?) year old beaten up ex-POW with continual melanoma able to go like that for months on end without just keeling over and shitting the bed
/gotta be more than One-a-Day vitamins and Metumucil
November 5th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
Can’t wait for Team USA to surprise everyone and kick Canada’s ass.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:01 pm
I have no words.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Oh yea, rick nash had that sick goal a couple years back.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Not happening but it’s nice that you have hope. Hold on to that.
November 5th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
USA! USA! USA!
November 5th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Neither of those things are happening. Or should happen anyways.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Heh, don’t know where this game was held but the Rangers play like 1/2 hour from my University.
Anyways, OHL games are really run to watch in person. In some towns, OHL’s pretty much the only thing they’ve got, so the fans are SERIOUSSSS about it.
I actually watched Tavares play in person in his final OHL season. Awesome, awesome player; not wonder he went #1.
November 5th, 2009 at 3:46 pm
@karma: you’d better not be attending Laurier
November 5th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
UW.
What’s wrong with Laurier? They have hot girls.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:08 pm
I was at UW years ago, back when our football team was good. We beat Laurier in ‘96 for the first playoff win in university history. Good times.
Anyway, Laurier does have hot girls, but they’re your hated rivals. You’re supposed to look down on them.
November 5th, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Our sports program is so shit. I remember I watched a UW football game during my frosh year (’07) and we lost by like 30 points. Our girls basketball team is decent though. It’s wierd, I go to the gym a lot and see some of the atheletes come in and train. Since the school is like 60% asians, you can easily tell who the atheletes are as they stand above the (shorter) asian population.
Oh, I perfer UW all day for the actual education part. But girls/sports? Laurier takes the cake.
I don’t think the rivalry is as heated as it once was unless its in sports.