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UPDATE 9Mar2018:
Kitchener Rangers dodge a bullet. No suspension will be issued to winger Givani Smith after Tuesday's brush with a linesman.
— Josh Brown (@BrownRecord) March 9, 2018
Hopefully Smith takes a lesson about playing with an edge versus crossing over that line from this.
Red Wings prospect Givani Smith could find himself in deep doo-doo after the stunt he pulled Tuesday night against Sarnia:
If this isn't abuse of official I don't know what is. @OHLHockey pic.twitter.com/SqmE8RgFYO
— @StingUpdates (@StingUpdates) March 7, 2018
Okay, the kid is only 20 years old, sure, but this is absolutely unacceptable behavior whether it was a fight or not.
Smith, a 2nd-round pick in 2016, is thought of as an power-forward with a physical edge, who isn’t afraid to drop the gloves when needed. Smith clearly ripped an official who was trying to restrain him from a fight in a junior-level game — which is a reprehensible move whether you’re a youngster, or a veteran.
Smith was only given two minutes for a previous play, and five minutes for fighting in all this.
There is a good chance Smith could sit for a long time for this stunt. He deserves it... Completely unacceptable.