Dale Weise isn’t expecting any extra attention from the Edmonton Oiler. (Getty Images via National Hockey League).
One of the storylines sure to crop up Saturday when the Edmonton Oilers visit the Vancouver Canucks is whether there’s any sort of carryover regarding Canuck winger Dale Weise.
Weise, the Canucks winger, was suspended three preseason games for his hit to the head on Edmonton star forward Taylor Hall in that Sept. 21 encounter. Weise fought Edmonton forward Mike Brown later in the game. Hall was not seriously injured.
The same night, Vancouver winger Zack Kassian broke Sam Gagner’s jaw, thanks to catching the Edmonton centre with an errant stick. Kassian was suspended three preseason games and is in the midst of sitting out five regular season ones.
“I had to miss the rest of the preseason and Zack got eight games and I think that’s fair,” Weise said after a brief Canuck practice on Friday at Rogers Arena. “I answered the bell when I had to. I don’t think there’s going to be any repercussions after that, but who knows? For us, I’m going to play the same way and we’ll see what happens.”
Weise has been critical of staged fights but Edmonton has been vocal about what happened in that game. Edmonton winger Ben Eager was quoted as saying, “We’re going to go after their skill players also,” and coach Dallas Eakins called the Kassian episode, “a disturbing play by a disturbing player.” (Eager, oddly enough, was placed on waivers earlier this week.)
Edmonton then went out and added mammoth tough guy Steve MacIntyre to their roster. He promptly hurt his knee trying to hit Luke Gazdic of the Dallas Stars, and, oddly enough, Edmonton picked up Gazdic off waivers to replace MacIntyre.
Gazdic, a left winger listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, had four goals, 11 points and 80 penalty minutes for the AHL’s Dallas Stars last season.
He fought Winnipeg Jet centre Chris Thorburn in his Edmonton debut on Tuesday.
So, if something happens Saturday, doesn’t that seem premeditated, Dale?
“I think so,” said Weise. “I’m not the type of guy that goes in expecting to fight this guy or that guy. I’ve told you guys that before.
“I guess they’ve got a new guy that’s trying to earn a spot on the team. I’m sure he’s going to be looking to make a name for himself.
“He had a pretty good first game there. I guess we’ll see what happens.”
