Gerrie suspended for boarding

Flyers forward receives suspension

On Saturday night in Altrincham, Flyers Forward Chris Gerrie was assessed a major penalty for boarding Manchester Storm forward Cole Carter, causing an injury.

As the video shows, Storm centre Scott Simmonds wins the end zone faceoff. With both Carter and Gerrie making a play on the loose puck, Carter takes possession of the puck to keep it in the Storm's attacking zone. With the direction of play heading towards the side wall, Carter puts his body in front of Gerrie in order to protect the puck. Gerrie raises his stick and delivers a shove to the back of Carter, driving him into the boards with force and causing an injury. This is Boarding.

It is important to note that this is not a scenario where Carter puts himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to the hit in a way that turns a legal check into an illegal one. While Carter does put himself in front of Gerrie in order to protect the puck, this action is not a sudden or sharp movement that changes the nature of Gerrie’s hit in a way that he can’t control. This shove is delivered from behind at a dangerous distance from the boards, with Carter unable to protect himself. He is thrown dangerously into the boards which caused an injury. 

To Summarise:

• This is Boarding
• The play resulted in an injury
• Gerrie has no previous history during the 2022/23 Viaplay Elite League season

Effective immediately, Fife Flyers Chris Gerrie is fined for one game. This incident will remain on the player’s record for the remainder of the 2022/23 season.