Another suspension has been handed down from the OHL. This one involves an Edmonton Oilers prospect who the organization recently selected in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft.
There has been a slew of suspensions over the past few weeks. Chicago Blackhawks prospect Ty Henry and two Kitchener forwards got two-game suspensions for their actions during a game on Oct. 26. Guelph overage forward was handed the book for a reckless hit. And Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, also Saginaw’s captain, received an automatic five-game suspension for his remarks to an opposing player.
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You can now add Flint Firebird captain Connor Clattenburg to that list.
The fifth-round, 160th overall pick by the Oilers in the most recent NHL draft has been assessed a two-game suspension for his check to the head against Windsor’s forward Jack Nesbitt.
#OHL Disciplinary Action:
Flint’s Connor Clattenburg has been suspended for two games as a result of actions (Major, Checking to the Head) on Nov. 1st vs. Windsor.
— Ontario Hockey League (@OHLHockey) November 2, 2024
The incident occurred in a game between Windsor and Flint last Friday, Nov. 1.
With under a minute left to play in the second period, Clattenburg finished his check on Nesbitt in the corner but made contact with his head, resulting in a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for checking to the head.
Upon reviewing the hit, Connor’s first point of contact is with Nesbitt’s shoulder. However, his shoulder rides into the head, creating a forceful collision against the glass.
Nesbitt was hunched over handling the puck in the corner but Clattenburg has to be mindful of the vulnerable state his opponent’s head is in.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound power forward only recorded 29 points in 60 games last season before hearing his name called at the draft.
Those statistics for a forward will rarely get you drafted into the show, but the Oilers were more focused on Clattenburg’s intensity and physical potential.
Discipline can be an issue in Connor’s game, but he will not steer away from that aggressive, hardnosed, gritty style of play. It’s in his DNA.
Teams that want a player who will finish every hit in sight and get under opponents’ skin will want a player like Connor Clattenburg. He has racked up 207 penalty minutes in 122 regular season OHL games.
He’s not going to be the type of player who surprises everyone and turns into a top-nine contributor for the Oilers. Instead, the hope is that he develops into an energy fourth-line player who will wear down opposing defenders with his brute force.
Clattenburg served his two-game suspension this past weekend as the Firebirds fell to the hands of Sault Ste. Marie and Windsor. He is eligible to return to the lineup this Friday, Nov. 8, when Flint hosts the Peterborough Petes.
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