Joel Quenneville Fined: Chicago Blackhawks Coach Fined 10K for Blasting Officials

ESPN is reporting that the National Hockey League fined Chicago Blackhawks head coach Joel Quenneville $10,000 on Thursday for lambasting officials following his team’s overtime loss to the Phoenix Coyotes during game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

In the first period of Tuesday’s contest, Coyotes forward Raffi Torres left his feet and delivered a brutal hit to the neck and head area of Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa.

No penalty was called on the play and Hossa was taken from the ice on a stretcher to a nearby hospital.

In a post game conference, Quenneville called the officiating a “disgrace,” and wondered how anyone could miss such an obvious unsportsmanlike like move.

“Brutal hit. I saw the whole play. 100 miles an hour, no puck, hit the head,” Quenneville said. “It was a brutal hit. I can’t believe four guys missed it. Makes me sick.”

The coach continued with his criticisms:

“I think we witnessed probably the worst call in the history of sports there,” Quenneville said after that game. “Nothing play. … They ruined a good hockey game and absolutely destroyed what was going on the ice. … Never seen anything like it.”

Hossa was released from the hospital the same night after being examined by medical experts and is expected to make a full recovery.

Raffi Torres has since been suspended indefinitely for the hit, pending a hearing today.

In case you haven’t seen it, check out Raffi Torres’ hit on Marian Hossa below:

According to the Sporting News, coach Joel Quenneville and the Blackhawks said Thursday that they weren’t interested in exacting revenge on the Coyotes for the actions of Torres.

Watch Quenneville’s comments following Game 3 of the Blackhawks-Coyotes series below:

via Vancouver Sun