The Laval Rocket embarked on a challenging road trip to Cleveland on Tuesday, but their lineup will be significantly weakened. The team will be without three of its top offensive players due to suspensions stemming from a massive brawl in their last home game.
Three Key Players Sidelined by Suspensions
Forwards Laurent Dauphin, Alex Belzile, and Joshua Roy are all serving the final two games of three-game suspensions handed down by the American Hockey League. The disciplinary action was a result of an incident that erupted near the end of the second period in Laval's game against the Toronto Marlies on Friday, December 13th.
The sequence began when former Montreal Canadien Michael Pezzetta of the Marlies, just after exiting the penalty box, delivered a high elbow to an unsuspecting Rocket defenceman Marc Del Gaizo. Laval's Florian Xhekaj immediately engaged Pezzetta in a fight, but the chaos was far from over.
As Pezzetta skated past the Laval bench, he was escorted away, but Toronto defenceman Rhett Parsons was not as fortunate. Belzile and Roy, who had left the players' bench, confronted Parsons, leading to a series of additional altercations. The AHL subsequently suspended Pezzetta, Dauphin, Belzile, and Roy for three games each, while Laval's Samuel Blais received a one-game ban.
Significant On-Ice Losses and a Coach's Disappointment
The absences create a substantial hole in the Rocket's attack. Laurent Dauphin is tied for the AHL scoring lead with 31 points in 25 games. Alex Belzile has 21 points in 25 contests, and Joshua Roy, who has seen time with the Montreal Canadiens this season, has 14 points in 17 games with Laval.
Head coach Pascal Vincent expressed his conflicted feelings about the event. "I want our team to protect each other, but not like that," Vincent told the Montreal Gazette. "Flo (Xhekaj) did an amazing job taking care of business the way he felt it was needed. The extra wasn't necessary."
Vincent acknowledged the team's tight bond but stressed the need for controlled emotions. "It's a fine line... This isn't something we're known for, but the emotions got the best of us. It's something we need to learn from." The incident resulted in 107 total penalty minutes, with 58 assessed to Toronto.
Compounding Challenges for the North Division Leaders
The suspension woes are compounded by other roster moves. The Rocket are also missing several players currently with the NHL's Canadiens, including goalie Jacob Fowler, defenceman Adam Engstrom, and forwards Owen Beck and Jared Davidson. Furthermore, defenceman Marc Del Gaizo suffered a concussion on the initial hit from Pezzetta and is out indefinitely, though he has reported feeling better.
Despite the turmoil, the Laval Rocket hold first place in the AHL's North Division with a record of 17 wins, 8 losses, and 1 overtime loss. However, they have lost three of their last four games. The team leads the league in penalty minutes, a trend Vincent will look to curb.
Defenceman William Trudeau reflected on the incident, stating, "It was kind of a dirty hit on one of our good players. Things just kind of escalated. Sometimes your emotions take over... The positive thing is we stand up for one another. I think that's a good quality for a team."
The Rocket face the Cleveland Monsters on Thursday night and Saturday afternoon in their final games before the Christmas break. They will return to action at home on December 27th and 28th against the Syracuse Crunch.
