Ottawa 67′s Dalton Smith cleared on Daniil Zharkov check; why the OHL was correct

When Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Dalton Smith got a checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct on Friday after levelling Daniil Zharkov in a Belleville-Ottawa playoff game, many presumed a suspension would soon follow. No matter that it was inconclusive at best whether the Ottawa 67's forward made contact with Zharkov's head, let alone targeted the Belleville Bulls right wing's noggin.

Say whatever one wants about the Ontario Hockey League's disciplinary actions and whether double-digit-game suspensions are a true deterrent, but not suspending Smith shows it has not become totally inflexible. In a season chock full of lengthy bans for headshots, the league has exonerated Smith, a repeat offender.

That doesn't mean it's sitting well, especially in Belleville where there was confusion recently when Bulls forward Alex Carnevale for got an eight-game ban for an open-ice check where it appeared he did not nail London's Bo Horvat in the head.

From veteran Bulls beat writer Paul Svoboda:

Did Smith "rais(e) his arms to make contact with Zharkov's head," though? The Sportsnet replay, collected by the indispensable Kats Jean, shows that Zharkov's upper torso was the principal point of contact as Smith thrust his forearms into the Belleville forward.

It is somehwat valid to introduce Smith's track record. However, there has to be a smoking gun — definitive proof it was a check to the head. The league's standard doesn't change because of who threw the check. Nor should it change because of who's on the receiving end, but that's another post. That's what lawyers would call prejudging. So it's not so unbelievable that the OHL deemed that giving Smith the major and game misconduct was a bad call.

No doubt people aware of Smith's rough-and-tumble reputation might be similarly aghast. But expecting the league to hand down a suspension just because it's Dalton Smith is a bit much. It's calls to mind that episode of The Simpsons when Chief Wiggum arrests Sideshow Bob for trying to blow up a dam even as Lisa explains he didn't do it because it's "crazy old Sideshow Bob."

The Carnevale suspension seemed excessive. That doesn't mean the league is honour-bound to repeat itself, although it should always be aiming for consistency. A key difference between those two plays involving the Bulls is that Smith and Zharkov were skating directly toward each other, putting a burden on the Bellevillian to keep his head up. Carnevale was backchecking and converged on Horvat from his right, probably on the far edges of his peripheral vision.

Smith, who had some pretty strong comments on Friday, was relieved to be exonerated.

From Don Campbell:

Game 6 is Monday in Belleville, with the decider slated for the following night yesterday in Ottawa. For anyone wondering about officiating throughout the run of the series, the Bulls have had a 25-15 edge in power-play opportunities.

The OHL did turn this around relatively quickly, informing Smith on Saturday that he could play. One wonders if the league could improve the wait times, so to speak, during the playoffs. If not every checking-to-the-head major and game misconduct requires supplementary discipline, the game officials could certainly review video between periods and see if it they got it right. Teams use video between periods as an educational tool, officials should do so too.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet (video: Sportsnet).