French league player receives stunning 3 year ban after seriously injuring another player.

This has got to be some kind of record does it not? 

The French Ice Hockey Federation(FFHG) has just sent down a stunning ruling that comes with the longest suspension that I have ever personally reported on in the sport of hockey. According to the official website of the FFHG the league has issue a shocking 3 year suspension to Canadian born defenseman Holden Anderson of Montreal, Quebec for a vicious assault he committed earlier this month on fellow Quebecois forward Julien Desrosiers.

Although Anderson is only 25 years old at the time of this report you have to imagine that the 3 year suspension could effectively turn out to be a career ending ban for the young man. Additionally it sounds like he might be lucky to get off with three years as the French league is reportedly petitioning the IIHF to extend the ban even longer. When you consider that this falls under the IIHF umbrella Anderson will struggle very badly to find a team to play for during his ban and even if it is lifted the stigma around him would likely make him untouchable, especially when taking his relative skill into consideration.

So you might be wondering what could warrant such a drastic suspension of a player? Well although 3 years is indeed harsh there is no question that Anderson's actions required a harsh punishment. During a scrum after the play during a game earlier this month both men were engaged in an exchange that could not really be called a fight, it was a grappling match for lack of a better term. However as month men grappled for position Anderson decided he would show off his judo chops by leg sweeping and hip tossing Desrosiers down onto the ice. It would have been a beautifully executed judo throw were in not for the fact that it was a blatant cheap shot on a totally unsuspecting opponent, and one that came with serious consequences.

The throw resulted in Desrosiers slamming head first into the ice in sickening fashion, knocking him senseless in the process. There he would remain for several long minutes and we would later learn that he had suffered a severe concussion as well as a separated shoulder from the throw. The French league stressed the fact that Desrosiers injuries could have been even more severe for their decision regarding the length of the ban, and upon watching the video it's hard to argue with that assessment. 

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