I've been thinking about this comment quite a bit over the past couple of days. Should it be up to me to post what I have been told if the league are determined to hush it up?
And I had initially decided not to bother due to the hassle I would probably get from other fans.
But then I ended up getting lots of abuse from Belfast fans on Twitter for just asking the question. So this is the various bits I've heard from different people and which all seems to fit:
Nobody seems certain whether it's 19 import signings + 1 spare for a netminder. Or 20 + 1 spare for netminder. But even if it is 20+1 then even when you take into account Raine's retirement Belfast would be 1 over.
So when Belfast sign McLeod they initially classed him as injury cover for Soy. Which is allowed and they even confirmed it in the announcement. But then Soy returned from injury so they switched it to..... Lewis Hook.
But Lewis Hook is a Brit. And the rules on IRL are in the section referring to signing imports, not home-grown players. But Belfast argued that it doesn't say specifically that you can't sign an import to cover a Brit and so did it anyway.
Which some might claim is not within the spirit of the rules and others might say is breaking the rules.
But nobody knows what injury Lewis Hook has. I can find no mention of him by Belfast since his last game. He was apparently removed from the roster on the Giants website and EIHL website (but is now back on both).
It would appear that Lewis Hook has actually been suspended by Belfast and been sent home to Peterborough pending a hearing for gross misconduct. I don't think it is fair for me to post what that gross misconduct was for as it involves several people and their personal lives -(but if you look in the right places on social media it is there).
But anyone who has been suspended by a team is not eligible to play and so not eligible to be on the Injury Reserve List.
So it would seem to me that the Belfast organisation have exploited a pretty horrible situation for their own benefit.
That wasnt so hard. Now it puts some things into perspective The central point appears to be Hook and his departure/injury along with the Giant's view of the EIHL position regarding injured players
I have zero insight into what has gone on regarding Hook, have not seen, nor gone hunting for details. I dont need to know his personal life
So would this be the EIHL position you are talking about
Injury Reserve
A team is permitted to place an injured player on ‘Injury Reserve’, subject to sufficient documentation and medical reports being passed to the Head of Hockey Operations.
When placed on Injury Reserve:
- • The injured player is automatically unavailable to ice in EIHL competitions for 21 days (regardless of the length of the injury)
- • The team may sign an additional replacement player for 21 days that does not count as an official change
As you state, nothing to say a replacement player must be like for like. i.e. non-home grown for non-home grown. So on this bases, no wrongdoing would appear to have occurred. However, I do accept some will choose the 'moral / spirit" argument to project a wrongdoing. Which I can fully relate to.
As for the acutal Injury list, I see the stipulation that a player's injury must be made and shown on the Official EIHL website; however, I can't even find the IRL on the EIHL site. Feel a little foolish, but could you / someone direct me..,?
I did send off an email and tweet to the Giants asking if Hook is injured, and will he play again this season or not? Can't see a response coming back, to be honest.
Talking to a few friends/supporters and is now rumoured Hook has departed for the remainder of the season.
This has now left a taint on what was going to be a close finish.
Working within the rules can be clever; however if Hook is away, and it has been deliberately withheld, then that's not acceptable and should result in some form of punishment.
