Oliwa Won’t Face a Suspension

Calgary Flame forward Krzysztof Oliwa will not be suspended by NHL officials for his hit on Mighty Duck goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere during Monday’s game.

Oliwa dropped Giguere with an elbow as Giguere played the puck behind the net. Giguere was dazed by the hit and Oliwa was given a match penalty for intent to injure, which is usually followed by a suspension.

That led Calgary Coach Darryl Sutter to add insult to minor injury.

“It was a bad call,” Sutter told Calgary reporters Tuesday. “A match penalty is for intent. If there were intent, Giguere wouldn’t have got up. If you look at the way he dove, that should be a $1,000 fine [for Giguere].”

Duck Coach Mike Babcock reacted strongly to that suggestion.

“Watching the video it is very clear he did not take a dive,” Babcock said. “The powers that be in the NHL have made their decision and we accept that. Any suggestion of a dive is ridiculous.”

Oliwa, meanwhile, claimed innocence.

“I simply tried to forecheck and because of the speed I was going and he got in the middle of the play, there was a collision,” Oliwa said to reporters Tuesday. “I feel bad he got hit in the head but I did my best to avoid him.”

Giguere saw it differently, saying it was “a stupid play by an idiot” after the game.

“If he was trying to play the puck in the corner and I went in and smoked him, maybe it would be a different story,” Oliwa said. “I tried to apologize right after it happened and said I tried to get the puck. That’s just his way of dealing with the loss and trying to justify it.”