Quince suspended for illegal check to the head

Blaze forward receives suspension

On Sunday night in Guildford, Blaze forward Marly Quince was penalised for an Illegal Check to the Head on Flames forward Turner Ripplinger.

As the video shows, Ripplinger picks up the loose puck on the half wall of the Flames end and attempts to make a breakout pass to a teammate. After he moves the puck, Quince finishes a high check on Ripplinger that cuts across the front of his core, making the head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an Illegal Check to the Head.

On this play both, elements of the Illegal Check to the Head rule are satisfied: first Ripplinger's head is the principal point of contact on this hit, and second the head contact on this play was avoidable. While Ripplinger does make a play on the puck, he does not change the position of his head or body just prior to contact in a way that significantly contributes to the head being the principal point of contact. Quince in making this check, cuts across the front of Ripplinger's body rather than hitting into the left shoulder or the core. If he wants to deliver this check, Quince must stay low and take an angle of approach that hits through Ripplinger's core rather than one that make the head the main point of contact.

To summarise:

• This is an Illegal Check to the Head
• Quince has neither been fined or suspended during the 2022/23 Viaplay Elite League Season

Effective immediately, Coventry Blaze Marly Quince is fined and suspended for one game.