Release from 28.10.2023

One-game suspension for Craig Schira

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Craig Schira of the Moser Medical Graz99ers was suspended for one game due to an incident deemed as an illegal Check to the Head or Neck in Friday's road game against the EC-KAC and additionally fined 200.00 euros.

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Craig Schira (#6) of Moser Medical Graz99ers, time 00:20 was involved in an incident deemed as an Illegal Check to the Head or Neck(IIHF Rule 48). The video evidence was sent to the win2day ICE Hockey League PSC, which determined the incident to be worthy of supplementary discipline - Category 1 - 'Careless'.

Friday night in Klagenfurt, Graz defense man #6 Craig Schira was assessed a major penalty plus game misconduct for an incident deemed as an Illegal Check to the Head or Neck on Klagenfurt forward #90 Matthew Fraser, resulting in a apparent injury.

As the video shows, in the first shift of the game, Fraser chips the puck up the wall in the neutral zone, where Fraser is racing for the puck and Schira takes a skating path of approach, to angle him off. At the moment Fraser reaches for and chips the puck, Schira delivers a forceful body check where he elevates into the hit, making contact to the head of Fraser, on a hit where it is deemed such head contact was avoidable. This is a check to the head.

It is important to note, we acknowledge that Fraser is low on this play naturally, as he is in a skating motion and he does alter slightly in playing the puck through the extension of his arm, but not the height of his head. This is not deemed a check where a sudden movement turns a legal hit into an illegal one. Schira chooses to make the forceful check through a movement with his shoulder up and in to the head of Fraser, making substantial head contact, rather than staying low and making shoulder to shoulder or chest contact. This unnecessary upward movement causes Schira's right shoulder to drive into the head of Fraser with force.

The ICE Hockey League Department of Player Safety has suspended Craig Schira for 1 game and fined 200.00 euros.

To summarize:

  • This is a check to the head
  • Elevating into the hit
  • Not a repeat offender

Previous suspension:
none

Next game Craig Schira (#6) of Moser Medical Graz99ers is allowed to play:
01.11.2023 Moser Medical Graz99ers vs. HC Pustertal Wölfe

DOPS made following video available: