Indefinite suspension sidelines Troops' Clark
Tuesday, Mar. 30, 2010

BRAMPTON, Ont. – If the Brampton Battalion is to survive its first-round Ontario Hockey League playoff series against the Kingston Frontenacs, it will have to do it without Matt Clark.

The OHL announced Tuesday that Clark has been suspended indefinitely for a check from behind on Kingston centre Ethan Werek, putting the Battalion defenceman out of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal Tuesday night at Kingston.

Clark received a major penalty and game misconduct for the check on Werek in the sixth game at Brampton on Sunday, a 2-1 Kingston victory that tied the series at three games each.

The Kingston Whig Standard reported Tuesday that Werek suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee and is out for the season. Werek, who had 64 points, including a team-leading 30 goals, in 57 games this season, missed seven games after straining the same knee in February.

The Troops were killing a penalty when Clark checked Werek along the end boards to the left of Battalion goaltender Patrick Killeen. Werek, who appeared to be losing his balance even before Clark’s arrival, fell awkwardly to the ice.

Clark was sent to the penalty box at 13:15 of the second period and then issued off the ice with a major after Werek lay writhing by the boards. He was helped to the dressing room and did not return.

Recognized as the conference’s best defensive defenceman and best body checker in OHL Coaches Poll results released last week, Clark had two goals and four assists for six points in the series. Werek had contributed three goals and two assists for five points.

Clark, 19, scored seven goals, all on the power play, and earned 16 assists for 23 points in 66 games this season. Chosen in the 11th round of the 2006 OHL Priority Selection, he had three goals and 20 assists for 23 points in 63 games as a rookie in 2008-09.

Clark was a second-round choice of the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League’s Entry Draft last June.

Nem jött jól, de a Brampton így is nyerni tudott és ezzel továbbjutott a második körbe.