A disturbing trend in the OHL intensifies after Kingston's Aleks Kulemin faces a lengthy suspension for his stick-swinging incident.
Kingston Frontenacs rookie forward Aleks Kulemin (41). Credit: Robert Lefebvre/OHL ImagesThe OHL’s Department of Player Safety has been forced to once again “drop the hammer” on a player for yet another stick-swinging incident.
Midway through the game between Brantford and Kingston on Feb. 8, Frontenacs rookie forward Aleks Kulemin was assessed a two-minute minor for high-sticking Bulldogs defenseman Owen Protz.
The referees did review the play for a potential match penalty, but decided on just two minutes. The league reviewed it for possible disciplinary action and determined it warranted a five-game suspension.
Embedded below is the incident.
As per the OHL’s explanation, Kulemin raising his hands to brace for contact was fine, but it’s the downward swing that contacts the back of Protz’s head, making his helmet move, that made it worthy of a stick-swinging suspension.
This suspension has showcased a disturbing pattern happening in the OHL this season. There has been a “scary trend” of stick-swinging incidents, highlighted of course by Luke Dragusica’s season-ending suspension.
Back in early November, while he was still a member of the Kitchener Rangers, Jacob Xu was suspended for four games for slashing the back of the head of his opponent in a retaliatory action. And just recently, Peterborough’s Braydon McCallum was given eight games for similar actions.
The league’s stance has been consistent: the stick is not a weapon. Any stick-swinging act making contact with the head of an opponent will result in a lengthy suspension.
Kulemin is eligible to return to action on Feb. 22.
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