Montreal police begin probe into Chara's hit

[li0lsh]

QUEBEC CITY -- Montreal police say they have started a criminal investigation into the on-ice hit by Boston's Zdeno Chara that left the Canadiens' Max Pacioretty with a severe concussion and cracked verterbra.

Police say Thursday they're acting on a request by Louis Dionne, Quebec's director of criminal and penal prosecutions. Police add that after evidence is collected it will be determined if there are grounds for prosecution.

Dionne made the request a day after the NHL said it would not suspend Chara.

Burnside: Separating 'result' from 'act'

"I am upset and disgusted that the league didn't think enough of [the hit] to suspend him," Pacioretty said in an interview with TSN on Wednesday. "I'm not mad for myself, I'm mad because if other players see a hit like that and think it's OK, they won't be suspended, then other players will get hurt like I got hurt."

Montreal coach Jacques Martin said Wednesday that Pacioretty fractured the fourth cervical vertebra, "but it's not displaced. Max will remain at the hospital for further observation. There will be no other prognosis for the time being, but he will obviously be out indefinitely."

The fourth cervical vertebra is approximately in the middle of the neck.

Because Chara received a game misconduct for the incident, the play was reviewed by the league, but NHL senior vice president of hockey operations Mike Murphy said in a statement that he found "no basis to impose supplemental discipline."

Pacioretty told TSN he thought Chara was intentionally trying to run him into the stanchion at the end of the bench.

"I believe he was trying to guide my head into the turnbuckle," Pacioretty said to TSN. "We all know where the turnbuckle is. It wasn't a head shot like a lot of head shots we see but I do feel he targeted my head into the turnbuckle."

After practice Wednesday, Chara said he felt bad but "was trying to make a strong hockey play and play hard."

The league agreed with the Slovakian defender.

"After a thorough review of the video I can find no basis to impose supplemental discipline," Murphy said. "This hit resulted from a play that evolved and then happened very quickly -- with both players skating in the same direction and with Chara attempting to angle his opponent into the boards. I could not find any evidence to suggest that, beyond this being a correct call for interference, that Chara targeted the head of his opponent, left his feet or delivered the check in any other manner that could be deemed to be dangerous.

"This was a hockey play that resulted in an injury because of the player colliding with the stanchion and then the ice surface. In reviewing this play, I also took into consideration that Chara has not been involved in a supplemental discipline incident during his 13-year NHL career."

Murphy hears cases involving Boston in place of league disciplinarian Colin Campbell, whose son, Gregory, plays for the Bruins.

Chara made contact with Pacioretty as the two were chasing the puck alongside the Bruins' bench with 15.8 seconds left in the second period. The hit sent Pacioretty face-first into the stanchion and he crumpled to the ice.

After he lay motionless for a period of time, Pacioretty, 22, was put into a neck brace, immobilized on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.

At Bruins practice Wednesday, Chara said the incident has been bothering him.

"It's been hard. Obviously, I feel bad about what happened," Chara said. "I'm trained to make a strong hockey play and play hard. It's unfortunate the player got hurt and had to leave the game. Obviously, it is on my mind."

Shortly after the NHL announced it wouldn't take further action against Chara, Montreal police were inundated with calls from people seeking to file a criminal complaint against the player. A spokesman said police suspected the calls were inspired by a media outlet that suggested the idea.

The police spokesman described the gesture as "irresponsible" -- and urged Montrealers to keep the emergency line free for actual life-and-death matters. "Someone in the media has been telling people to call the police to complain," Sgt. Ian Lafreniere said. "This shows a serious lack of responsibility."

There has been strong debate this season over injuries from hits to the head. Pittsburgh star Sidney Crosby is among those sidelined with such an injury.

In a related matter, Air Canada has told the NHL it is considering withdrawing its sponsorship unless the league tightens rules to reduce potentially serious injuries.

Zdeno Chara's hit under investigation by Montreal police - ESPN

 

[pixburgher66]

 

[SLY]

This is a fucking joke... Montreal has just made itself look even more fucking retarded.

 

[Cricket]

That's insane.

 

[SLY]

That's insane.

All french canadians are.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Is there a limit to how many 's can be put into one post?

 

[The Q stache]

All french canadians are.

 

[Cricket]

All french canadians are.

So it seems. I've always wanted to go to Canada now I'm not so sure.

 

[SLY]

Is there a limit to how many 's can be put into one post?

yea, only 4. lol

 

[SLY]

Maybe players will start suing each other if they are hit too hard now, for emotional and physical problems... This better not interfere with Chara playing down the line. Once again, a fucking joke.

 

[Comeds]

So it seems. I've always wanted to go to Canada now I'm not so sure.

This is one of the funniest things I ever read on this site.

 

[sportfan09]

dam bruins

 

[buffhockey]

Nothing else for the police to probe??

 

[dash]

This is one of the funniest things I ever read on this site.

And that's saying something

Come to the attic, you'll like it.

 

[dash]

Nothing else for the police to probe??

One of my favourite newspaper headlines of all time:

"Probe clears police chief"

 

[puckhead]

So it seems. I've always wanted to go to Canada now I'm not so sure.

Quebec is a whole other animal.

That would be like me saying I don't want to go to the USA because Alabama* smells funny.



*arbitrary, I've never been to Alabama

 

[li0lsh]

canada-stronger beer, women love hockey

whats not to love

 

[Comeds]

Quebec is a whole other animal.

That would be like me saying I don't want to go to the USA because Alabama* smells funny.



*arbitrary, I've never been to Alabama

You should go to Alabama, its great. Really. Wonderful.

Quebec isn't the only province in which police have at least looked into on ice incidents is it? Didn't they at least talk about getting involved in the McSorley

-Brashear incidence and the Moore-Bertuzzi incident?

By the way I do not think they should be involved in this.

 

[dare2be]

Quebec is a whole other animal.

That would be like me saying I don't want to go to the USA because Alabama* smells funny.



*arbitrary, I've never been to Alabama

You're not far off.

 

[Cricket]

Quebec is a whole other animal.

That would be like me saying I don't want to go to the USA because Alabama* smells funny.



*arbitrary, I've never been to Alabama

Ok. I'll just go around Quebec. But I shall still be careful not to piss off local hockey fans lest I get sent to the big house.