Suspension: NAIT Hockey-Wing

2018-19 Season

February 27, 2019 

Facts:

On February 22, 2019, NAIT’s Julia Wing (#7) was assessed a match penalty for slew-footing a SAIT opponent.

SAIT has advised that its player injured her ribs on the play and was unable to participate in SAIT’s next game.

NAIT has provided video footage of the incident (attached to this ruling), which I have reviewed extensively. NAIT submits that Ms. Wing was not guilty of slew-footing and that the referee made the match penalty call in error.

Ruling:

Hockey Canada Rule 7.4(b) deals with slew footing. It reads, in part, as follows:

Slew-footing occurs when one player uses a leg or a foot to knock or kick an opposing player’s feet from under him, or pushes another player’s upper body backward with an arm or elbow and at the same time with a forward motion of his leg, knocks or kicks that player’s feet from under him. (emphasis added)

Upon review of the video footage, it is apparent that Ms. Wing’s actions do not constitute slew-footing as defined by Hockey Canada. While Ms. Wing clearly used her arm/stick to force the SAIT player off-balance and to the ice, a key element of slew-footing is the involvement of the leg or foot, which was missing from Ms. Wing’s actions. As such, the referee, who, to her credit, did not have the benefit of slow-motion video footage, erred in calling a match penalty.

In order to ensure that my interpretation of the video evidence was correct, I asked Hockey Alberta Referee-in-Chief Craig DeCoursey to review the video footage and provide his opinion. After watching the video footage, Mr. DeCoursey concurred that a match penalty should not have been called. In his view, the correct call should have been a 5 minute major for holding and a game misconduct.

Based on the above, Ms. Wing’s match penalty is revoked and will be replaced with a major and game misconduct for holding. After receiving the match penalty, Ms. Wing sat out NAIT’s February 23, 2019 game against SAIT. While it is extremely unfortunate that the SAIT player was injured on the play, it is my opinion that the one (1) game suspension already served by Ms. Wing is sufficient under the circumstances and she is eligible to participate immediately.

Sincerely,

Bill Hendsbee 
ACAC Commissioner