In 2021, Tucker Poolman apparently became upset that baseball season was over, despite Vancouver only having a minor league franchise?
With Colorado leading 6-1 and just over nine minutes left in the third and final period, Poolman took a swing at Avalanche winger Kiefer Sherwood. Poolman did not take a whack at Sherwood’s stick or even his shin pads. Instead, Poolman whipped his stick around and clocked Sherwood in the side of the head with the blade-end of the shaft.
Poolman would be tossed out with the old “Five & 10” (5:00 major penalty and 10:00 misconduct) moments later after a conversation between the on-ice officials and the NHL replay crew at League Headquarters in Toronto. Cameras caught a quick glimpse of Poolman almost seeming to shrug off the call as one of the officials came to escort him from the penalty box to the Canuck bench.
If Poolman would have contacted the helmet, the call at the worst would have been a double minor for high-sticking. Instead, the NHL handed down a two-game suspension, as Sherwood remained in the game without injury.
Colorado ended up tacking on one more during the ensuing power play, for a nice 7-1 victory. The Avalanche improved to 5-5-1, while Vancouver fell to 5-7-2. The seven goals were Colorado’s highest offensive output of the young season.
Also, it still burns my blood that all teams have played at least a dozen games, and the New York Islanders still do not have their first home game until next week when they open their brand new UBS Arena.
Getting back to Poolman, the 28-year-old defenseman signed a four-year, $10 million contract with the Canucks after spending his first four seasons in the Winnipeg Jets organization. In 120 games with the Jets over three seasons, Poolman has five goals, 14 assists and 32 penalty minutes.
Last night he earned 15 in a matter of one stupid reaction.
Sherwood’s check was clean and to the chest. Poolman ended up going back-first into the boards just past the left corner in the Vancouver defensive zone. Sherwood’s left fist seemed to come up a little high while finishing the check, but his hand never went past Poolman’s collarbone. Poolman reacted by turning around and taking an Indiana Jones-like swing with his stick, blasting Sherwood on the right side of his face and head.
Poolman remained down for a moment or so, before being helped up by a linesman. Some fans took offense to none of the Avalanche players coming to Sherwood’s aid, but the hit occurred behind the play as Colorado was on an offensive rush. To Colorado’s credit, they did not retaliate with the game well out of reach.
Remember the last time there was a stick-swinging incident like this was Marty McSorley nearly decapitating Donald Brashear in 2000. Brashear returned to the active roster by the end of that season, while McSorley was given 18 months of probation, where he was not allowed to be in the lineup for another game against Brashear for the entirety of the sentence.
The NHL Department of Player Safety only giving Poolman a pair of games for this is absurd. There should have been at least five games handed down, as apparently the league thinks this type of behaviour is the equivalent of slew-footing an opponent.
Poolman will now have a tag with him the rest of his career after this incident. Any other suspendable incident will qualify him as a repeat offender, which means the league is not likely to be kind with discipline.
Apparently discipline is a trait Poolman forgot about after taking a legal check in the middle of a blowout loss.
-JC24