Shots From the Point **UPDATED**

Annie Fowler reports:

The Americans won't be getting Matt MacKenzie back any time soon. The veteran defenseman signed a three-year deal with the Buffalo Sabres and will play for the Rochester Americans for the foreseeable future.  (Red Light District)

That still leaves 4 overagers for 3 spots.  Who will be the odd man out?  Or odd men if Bob's got some wheeling and dealing in the works.

Brendan Leipsic was suspended indefinitely 5 games for his hit on Mack Royer the other night.  Dylan Bumbarger's got some analysis over at OregonLive:

No penalty on the play of course. There was no indication at the time that Royer was hurt, at least to my knowledge--didn't hear anything on the broadcast or any comments from spectators. On the other hand, he did not play in the Spokane game on Saturday night. And the suspension is still listed as "to be determined". This usually means the league is waiting to see how serious a player's injury is. So maybe there is a delayed injury.

In 2001-2002 the league failed to suspend a Seattle player for an elbow to the head of Joey Hope (called a five-minute major, 40 seconds into the game, in circumstances that seemed premeditated) which gave him a severe concussion, and their explicit reason was that Hope stayed on the ice and kept playing. Hope had a delayed reaction and had to leave the game a couple of minutes later; to the league, this was a sign that he wasn't that hurt. Every circumstance of that incident was more severe than this one, and yet that one went unpunished and Leipsic got at least one game and maybe more. Let's be charitable. Perhaps the league really is getting more enlightened on matters like this. A good thing, depending on how consistent the enforcement is the rest of the season.

Bumbarger also throws this in:

Also of note is what has gone one between Tri-City and Portland already. Last week it was Portland who sent the video to the league for supplemental discipline and got a two-game suspension for Jordan Messier, and this week Tri-City did it with Leipsic. You also have the Americans pinching Lukas Walter out from under the Winterhawks' noses, which while perfectly legal took them by surprise, and possibly forced them to cancel an exhibition game.  (OregonLive)

Maybe I'm misinterpreting the tone, but Walters was placed in waivers.  I'm pretty sure that means the Hawks didn't want him and that any team is free to pick him up--which Tri-Cities did.  To say that's the reason they had to ("possibly") cancel a pre-season game is bizarre.  He was on waivers so he was off their roster, he wouldn't have been available for their pre-season games unless no one claimed him on waivers (I don't know how much time they allow a player to be on waivers).  To say he was "pinched out from under the Winterhawks' noses" is, I dunno, inaccurate?  Inflamatory?  Look, I'm not trying to start a blog war or anything, I just thought the choice of wording was interesting.  I DO agree with Bumbarger on the hopes the league is "getting more enlightened" and even moreso the hope that the league enforcement will be consistent.

**UPDATE**

Judging by the information/speculation/whatever in this message board thread (it won't let me link it, it's message thread #29228)), Portland invited Walter to camp, didn't list/sign him therefore he's still essentially up-for-grabs.  And Bob grabbed him.  Apparently that isn't the nice thing to do, but it's legal according to the league who has to sign off on it.  Now Bob is "underhanded", not to be trusted, not above board, doesn't follow the rules, and he "sniped" Walter.  Oh and he's "somewhat jealous of the Hawks organization".  

 

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Marcus Messier has been suspended:

Four games for double minor for cfb at Spokane on October 1  (WHL)

Guess the league is really, truly cracking down.  Good.  Again, hope it stays consistent.