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Rule 44: Clipping
Clipping is the act of throwing the body, from any direction, across or below the knees of an opponent. A player may not deliver a check in a “clipping” manner, nor lower his own body position to deliver a check on or below an opponent’s knees. An illegal “low hit” is a check that is delivered by a player or goalkeeper who may or may not have both skates on the ice, with his sole intent to check the opponent in the area of his knees. A player or goalkeeper may not lower his body position to deliver a check to an opponent’s knees. |
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FORT WAYNE — Chris Auger wants to play hockey again, and he wants it to be with the Komets.
It just won’t be this season.
Tests Monday revealed Auger has a complete tear of the anterior-cruciate ligament and a torn meniscus suffered on an open ice hit by Evansville’s Aaron Gens in the first period in Saturday’s 4-3 victory over the Icemen at Memorial Coliseum.
“I’m going to be able to come back 100 percent, which is different than it was with my shoulder. I am going to continue to play and I hope it will be in Fort Wayne when it comes the time to come back,” said Auger, 24.
“I guess devastation and shock, any one of those kinds of words, would suffice in this situation,” said Auger, who had 28 goals and 59 points in 57 games last season, then added 10 goals and 22 points in 18 playoff games as the Komets won the CHL title.
Auger, who had missed a third of the 2010-11 season with a shoulder injury, had one goal and one assist in four games this season.
“Any time you lose a player to a season-ending injury, it’s difficult and disappointing for the player,” general manager David Franke said. “It’s a shock to everybody. But these injuries happen, not only in hockey but in all of sports. We’ve just got to suck it up, and this will give some other guys more ice time and chance to develop. We’re not going out and signing another player right now, so that’s where we’re at.”
Franke said forward Matt Firman will likely be activated, and the Komets expect Josh Brittain to pick up the slack with Auger out.
The ECHL’s vice president of hockey operations, Joe Ernst, was at the game. The Komets (2-1-1) didn’t plan to ask for a formal review but did inform Ernst of the extent of Auger’s injuries.
Auger said the hit may have been allowable in the rulebook, but he felt it was unsportsmanlike.
“There’s just no way you can prepare yourself to be hit so low and you have no chance to defend yourself in that position,” Auger said.
