Michael Liambas - Another Shot

[stop__dreaming]

Months after being kicked out of the OHL, Michael Liambas is getting a shot at making the pros.

During a game against the Kitchener Rangers on October 31, 2009, Liambas delivered a highly controversial and devastating check to opposing sixteen-year-old defenceman Ben Fanelli. As Liambas checked Fanelli into the boards behind the Rangers net, Fanelli's head hit a metal partition in the glass, breaking and knocking off his helmet. Fanelli lay unconscious while twitching and foaming at the mouth before being rushed to hospital in critical condition with skull and orbital bone fractures. Liambas was reportedly in tears while seeing Fanelli on the ice and attempted to visit him in the hospital, but was not allowed in. Fanelli was released from Hamilton General Hospital a week later on November 6.

Brian Burke has apparently invited him to the Leafs tryouts. Footage of the hit can be seen below.

[steen101984]

The kid deserved another shot. It wasnt a dirty hit is was just very unfortunate. When you have a 6'0 177lb 16 year old boy being hit by a 5'9 210 lb man this stuff can happen. That play happens 5 times a game unfortunately he hit thw boards awkwardly and got hurt bad. I heard he is doing some skating now which is awesome. But if he had of gotten up from the hit there would have been zero suspension. Branch punished the result not the action.

[MatsSundin13Rocks]

The kid deserved another shot. It wasnt a dirty hit is was just very unfortunate. When you have a 6'0 177lb 16 year old boy being hit by a 5'9 210 lb man this stuff can happen. That play happens 5 times a game unfortunately he hit thw boards awkwardly and got hurt bad. I heard he is doing some skating now which is awesome. But if he had of gotten up from the hit there would have been zero suspension. Branch punished the result not the action.

I agree. The more I see the hit you can tell it wasn't an intentional cheap shot but the hit had a terrible outcome with the severity of the injury.

[ravens_creed]

What counts the most for me is how Michael Liambas has responded to the incident. He's not just apologetic for the sake of saying the right things, it's genuine. He gets it. This isn't another wreckless Steve Downie, Daniel Carcillo, or (yeah, I'm calling him out) Mike Richards kind of player, who doesn't seem to care for the person behind the player when they take to the ice.

[30ranfordfan]

Let's not forget that after he was kicked out of the OHL, he went to play in the IHL, where after something like 17 games, he was also suspended for the rest of the season.... wait for it...... for a dirty hit.

Do I think he was trying to injure other players? No, but I will also argue that Todd Bertuzzi wasn't trying to injure Steve Moore. The Marty McSorley stick - to Donald Brashear's face? Also an accident.

I do also agree that the punishment was because of the injury, not the hit. If the player walks away from it..... it's a game max.

But Liambas is careless. Reckless even. I have no doubt that we'll be reading about this guy again, for a dirty hit that injured another player.

The invite to training camp, IMO, is nothing other than Burke trying to get the reporters talking about something other than how bad the Leafs are going to be this year. He's simply not good enough to even have a realistic shot at making the Marlies..... unless the organizational depth is even worse in Toronto than I thought.

[steen101984]

Let's not forget that after he was kicked out of the OHL, he went to play in the IHL, where after something like 17 games, he was also suspended for the rest of the season.... wait for it...... for a dirty hit.

Do I think he was trying to injure other players? No, but I will also argue that Todd Bertuzzi wasn't trying to injure Steve Moore. The Marty McSorley stick - to Donald Brashear's face? Also an accident.

I do also agree that the punishment was because of the injury, not the hit. If the player walks away from it..... it's a game max.

But Liambas is careless. Reckless even. I have no doubt that we'll be reading about this guy again, for a dirty hit that injured another player.

The invite to training camp, IMO, is nothing other than Burke trying to get the reporters talking about something other than how bad the Leafs are going to be this year. He's simply not good enough to even have a realistic shot at making the Marlies..... unless the organizational depth is even worse in Toronto than I thought.

The difference between those incidents and this incident is that both of those plays were outside the rules. You arent allowaed to slash and you aren't allowed to jump someone from behind but you are allowed to hit.

About the Leafs invite as well thats not the reason. They interviewed Liambas and he said that Burke approached him after the incident but Liambas decided against signing or trying out because he didnt want to be in the spotlight anymore. Hence him going to Indiana. At best he will be a fourth line grinder with minimal minutes if he does make the Marlies.

Also about his suspension in the IHL

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/stor...l.html?ref=rss

He wasnt assesed a penalty, it wasnt considered dirty and he was suspended 5 games not the entire season.