Sacha Treille Suspended Five Games for Headshot on Roman Starchenko

Another day, another headshot. This just goes to show that the lack of respect amongst hockey players isn’t just a problem in the NHL, it’s an issue at the international level as well.

On May 6th, in the matchup between France and Kazakhstan in the 2012 IIHF World Championships, France’s Sacha Treille made a nasty hit with his shoulder and elbow straight to Roman Starchenko’s head. The vicious hit sent Starchenko’s stick flying through the air, as he was knocked out immediately upon contact. Afterwards, his head bounced off the ice, surely causing even more damage. Starchenko was diagnosed with a severe concussion afterwards, and will more than likely miss the rest of the tournament.

Treille has been suspended by the IIHF for five games as a result of the play. “(This) underscores the IIHF’s commitment to eliminate hits to the head and neck area,” the IIHF said when announcing the ban. Initially, the hit earned Treille a game misconduct and match penalty on the play – which results in an automatic one game suspension. Four additional games were then added by the IIHF’s discipline committee.

Take a look at the video below of Sacha Treille’s headshot on Roman Starchenko. Do you agree with this suspension? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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