Rick Rypien Given 6 Game Suspension

The NHL announced today that Vancouver Canucks’ forward Rick Rypien will be suspended for 6 games, due to an altercation with a fan. The fan, James Engquist is likely to press charges for the incident; Rypien pushed him while walking to the Canucks’ dressing room. Rypien will be eligible to play on Nov. 6, when the Canucks will be facing off against the Detroit Red Wings.

Rick Rypien Suspended Indefinitely

Vancouver Canucks’ enforcer Rick Rypien is best known for being tough and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in the NHL.  What he isn’t known for is being a repeat offender in the league.  But on Tuesday, October 19, he put a permanent mark his record when he went after a fan in the stands at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota.  It all started when Rypien was ejected from the game during a scrum.  As he was escorted to the Canucks’ dressing room, a  fan above him shouted something, and Rypien snapped.  He jumped up at the fan, pushing him and tugging on his Wild jersey, before a number of people were able to separate the two.  The fan, later identified as James Engquist, told his side of the story after the incident. 

“I was just standing straight up applauding as he was getting kicked out,” Engquist told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.  “He was out of control. And then I said, ‘Way to be professional,’ and he obviously didn’t care for that comment and decided to grab me and almost dragged me over the rail.”

After the altercation, Engquist was simply moved to a seat in front of the glass.  Rypien however, wasn’t so lucky with his punishment.  The NHL has suspended him indefinitely until his hearing on Friday, when the length of the suspension will be given.  Many experts and analysts have already given their predictions on what the length of the suspension will be, with most saying a minimum of 5 games. 

The Edmonton Youth Movement

The talented trio of Jordan Eberle (left), Taylor Hall (center), and Magnus Paajarvi (right) is quickly transforming the Edmonton Oilers from bottom feeders to contenders.

With the commencement of the NHL regular season, all 30 teams were announcing who was making their team, and who wasn’t.  Among those teams, the Edmonton Oilers probably had the most eyes on them, just maybe because they had 3 of the best prospects in the game.  This exciting young trio consists of 2010 #1 overall pick Taylor Hall, the 2010 CHL player of the year Jordan Eberle, and Swedish sensation Magnus Paajarvi (whose name has caused some confusion among hockey fans, as it went from Magnus Svensson-Paajarvi to Magnus Paajarvi-Svensson to just Magnus Paajarvi).  All three have had a great pre-season, cementing their spots on the Oilers roster, and are all serious contenders for the Calder Trophy.  I personally think that Jordan Eberle has the best chance of being the rookie-of-the-year, because he has had the most time to develop and mature as a player.   I’m not saying that he’s best of the three, quite the contrary.  All three are legitimate scoring threats and can each be relied to step up their game in big games.  Eberle may be the best example of this.  During the 2009 World Junior Championships, Canada was down 5-4 in the semifinals against Russia in the dying seconds of the game.  Just when all Canadian hopes of a fifth straight gold medal were virtually extinguished, Eberle beat the goalie on a backhand shot with 5.4 seconds to go in regulation.  He also scored the shootout winner to get Canada back to the final, and eventually win the gold medal.  The other two top Oiler prospects are no strangers to big games as well, with Hall winning the past two Memorial Cups with the Windsor Spitfires, and Paajarvi playing for Sweden in the World Juniors.  When a team has as much phenomenal young talent as the Edmonton Oilers, you can bet they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

Here’s Jordan Eberle’s famous goal against Russia in the WJC: