Ryan Hollweg banned 6 games for sucker punch in Czech League, but sings heck out of Pearl Jam
Remember Ryan Hollweg? Former member of the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes and their AHL affiliates? Once mistaken for a piñata by Chris Simon?
Hollweg's currently playing for HC Škoda Plzeň of the Czech Extraliga (home to Martin Straka!), although "playing" is admittedly a stretch for several reasons. His 91 penalty minutes in seven games seems a bit much. Also, he's going to sit for six games after an incident involving former NHLer Robert Petrovicky.
It happened in a game against Petrovicky's Brno Comets this week. Hollweg laid out Petrovicky with a hit while the Comets forward didn't possess the puck. Petrovicky got up and started skating on a delayed penalty call against Hollweg's team. As he glided past Hollweg, the Plzen forward reached out and punched Petrovicky in the head, sparking a melee:
(An aside: Please oh please oh please NHL, please mic up the refs so we can hear their conversations like in the Czech league. Please?)
According to ISport, Hollweg had been previously warned by his league regarding rough play early in the season. Perhaps the warning wasn't stern enough.
Or, perhaps, Hollweg's been targeted by a League that's biased against him, as he indicated in a Facebook response to the suspension.
Hollweg was given an automatic one-game suspension for his actions, but the league added on five more for "a blow to the head and neck." His suspension will keep him out of action until Oct. 21.
But Hollweg doesn't believe the suspension is fair, because there wasn't an injury on the play and because he believes the League is biased against his him. From Facebook, Hollweg said:
"I want all my fans to know that I am sorry I will be out for 6 matches. I think it is an embarrassment what the league is trying to do to me. Yes maybe my foul was wrong but this is hockey and it is an intense sport. At the end of the day nobody was hurt and the Brno player never missed any time on the ice.
"I expected to miss some matches but giving me 6 matches says to me that the league is bias against me. Brno acts as if they are angels and play a clean game when we all know that is a lie. The fact is they purposely send players out to try and hurt out top players and that is a sign of being a scared team. They are angry that they can't push us around anymore and they won't on my watch. This I guarantee.
"I hope you all will support me and don't be afraid to let the league know how you feel. Thank you Plzeň. You are number 1."
Hey, just think: Were this the NHL, Hollweg could have appealed his suspension to the guy who hired the guy who suspended him. Justice!
(Also, were this the NHL, a sucker punch may not have even called for a suspension.)
So, yeah, this seems a bit egregious and unfair to Hollweg. If only there was a way to channel his frustrations into an artistic endeavor.
Like, maybe slaughtering Pearl Jam's "Elderly Woman Behind The Counter in a Small Town" into a hockey stick microphone (Click to view):
"Faaaaade away …"
