Send Him Far, Far Away

Blatent. Unnecessary. Intentional. Stupid. Idiotic. Dumb. All of these words are appropriate when describing the very obvious, very intended check to Vincent Trocheck's head that Brendan Lemieux threw in the second game of the Finland showcase. There was no doubt that a suspension was coming the moment Lemieux threw the hit, leaving the only question as how long would said suspension be. A large portion of the Jets' fans on social media wanted to see the punishment be harsh to ensure that Lemieux wouldn't find his way back into the lineup, so it was all up to the Department of Player Safety to swing the hammer of justice.

Let's review this hit that Lemieux threw on Trocheck.

I'm still speechless at that. Lemieux didn't even try to line up Trocheck's body. He legitimately went for his head no matter how many times you watch the video. There is no room for "I tried..." in this situation. Lemieux targeted Trocheck's head as the only point of contact, meaning his intention was entirely clear from the moment he zeroed in on Trocheck.

What was the Department of Player Safety's response?

Two games? That's it?

As a result, Lemieux will forfeit $9023.30 as a result of the suspension, but the two games he'll sit and watch seems hardly appropriate when one considers the phrasing used by the Department of Player Safety. The video stated,

"It is important to note that the head is the main point of contact on this hit and that the head contact on this hit was avoidable," the department said. "If Lemieux wants to deliver this check, he must take an angle of approach that hits through Trocheck's shoulder and core rather than picking his head and making it the main point of contact."

If the head was the target and the hit was avoidable, I'd be inclined to throw the book at Lemieux. However, thanks to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, two games seems to be the maximum suspension they could serve based on the fact that Lemieux has no prior history of a fine or a suspension.

Here's where things should pivot dramatically. The Winnipeg Jets should exile Lemieux to the furthest place from the NHL they can find. Not the AHL, not the ECHL, but some place where any future of an NHL job is seriously in doubt. His dad played over in China, so maybe the Jets assign Lemieux to the China Sharks for a little conditioning?

Whatever the decision on Lemieux is, he may have cost himself an NHL career. There's no way a coach will trust him on the ice if he goes and does stupid things like the hit on Trocheck, and that five-minute major was the break the Panthers needed to take control of the game in Helsinki. Coaches don't forget those kinds of things, so Lemieux is going to have to light up the AHL and look like the second coming of Gordie Howe if he hopes to rebuild any sort of trust with the coaches and fans.

Claude Lemieux is a liability at this point in his career. The Jets would be wise to divest themselves of this problem as soon as they can. Bury him in the minors. Trade him for a bag of used sock tape. Whatever the decision is, just make sure he's not wearing a Jets logo ever again.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!