METCALFE SUSPENDED TWO GAMES

Things aren’t getting any easier for the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

Already facing a colossal challenge in the opening round of the 2011 President’s Cup playoffs, the Eagles will be without the services of veteran defenseman Spencer Metcalfe for Games One and Two of their series against the Saint John Sea Dogs.

From the QMJHL website:

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Disciplinary Prefect, Raymond Bolduc, today suspended Spencer Metcalfe of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles for two games for charging an opponent. The incident occurred during last Sunday’s game versus the Halifax Mooseheads.

The decision was rendered after reviewing the video of the incident, gathering the testimonies from the players and the organizations involved, reading the officials’ report and consulting the independent committee in the matter of disciplinary sanctions.

No video of the hit has made its way onto YouTube, but Willy Palov of the Chronicle Herald paints a picture of the play in Monday’s paper.

Mooseheads forward Darcy Ashley missed part of the game after taking a dangerous hit from Cape Breton defenceman Spencer Metcalfe early in the second period. Metcalfe took a run at Ashley at the Cape Breton blue-line and appeared to injure the Halifax rookie’s right shoulder. Ashley returned in the third period and Metcalfe received a charging major and a game misconduct penalty.

"I didn’t see him coming until the last second so I don’t know where he started on the ice," Ashley said. "But it’s hockey and things like that happen. You’ve just got to keep moving forward and make sure your injury heals and continue on."

Metcalfe has plenty of playoff experience, helping the Moncton Wildcats win the President’s Cup last season. This year, the gritty defenseman has a career high three goals and six assists in 59 games. He finished the year with 126 penalty minutes, good for 11th in the QMJHL.

According to a tweet sent out by Halifax Mooseheads play-by-play John Moore, Metcalfe will join the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers next season.

Photo Credit: Cape Breton Screaming Eagles