Ice Hockey: Stitches and season's greetings

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Michal Gutwald in the media room after Sunday's game
Michal Gutwald ended Sunday’s game with  a man of the match award, stitches above and below his eye, and something else - the respect of the fans and his team-mates.

When Fife Flyers’ defenceman squared up to Belfast Giants’ Matt Pelech he probably knew it wasn’t going to end well.

It was an instinctive thing to do. It was also the right thing to do.

Pelech’s elbow to the back of Paul Crowder’s head was cheap, lazy and crude. The very sort of action that DOPS never tires of reminding players have no place in the modern game - and that they are responsible for their own actions.

On the basis of that mantra, supplementary discipline ought to follow as logically as night follows day.

The  2+10 penalty called by the officials was largely viewed as inadequate, with most observers going for a clear cut, stonewall five plus game.

The Giants’ player will simply swallow any suspension - it comes with the territory when your job is to flex some muscles.

Gutwald stepped in immediately, and while he got in some punches, there’s no doubt Pelech won the fight. 

With Gutwald on the ice, Pelech still stood with his arm raised, fist clenched and his body language suggested he was happy to continue even as the linesmen stepped in.

In short, he was just doing his job.

So too was Gutwald.

But in stepping up to the plate, he also did  a heck of a lot more for the club’s spirit - in the dressing room and in the stands.

He knew it was gonna hurt, but he still  danced with Pelech, and earned a strong ovation from the fans.

Their way of saying thanks - and ‘sorry for the stitches’ - was to hand him the MoM award.

Moments like that can go a long way to creating a spark as well as strengthening bonds.

It says a lot that Gutwald was also first into  the media room for the post-game interviews.


Being asked to record a Christmas greeting in his native Czech language rounded off  a pre-Christmas night with a difference ...

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