Sick League: AHL Goalie Alex Lyon Gets Suspended For 2 Games For Flipping The Double Bird After A Shutout Performance To Win The Calder Cup
First of all, congrats to the Chicago Wolves on winning the 2022 Calder Cup. It was the first Calder Cup since the pandemic, so that's a pretty huge deal.
Leading the way for the Wolves was Alex Lyon between the pipes. A former Flyers goaltender who had the lowest GAA in the AHL this season. And his goals against in the game 5 of the Calder Cup Finals? Zero. A dominant 28-save shutout performance to help the Wolves win their first Calder Cup since 2008. After a performance like that, you should be allowed to flex on the haters a bit.
A little double bird salute to the Springfield Thunderbirds and their valiant effort in the finals. Seems borderline insolent at worst. But nothing too harmful. I mean nobody died or anything. But don't tell that to the league. Because Alex Lyon landed himself a one-game suspension for each middle finger he flipped after that win.
You could stab a dude in the eye with your skate in the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the NHL would still try to find a way to just fine the player instead of resorting to a suspension. Perhaps a maiming would land you a 1-game sussy, which the league would then try to rationalize by saying it equates to like an 8-game regular season suspension. But TWO games for a celebratory double bird? I get its easier to hand out a suspension once the season is already over since it just carries into next regular season. But still. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here. You win a championship, you're allowed to do and say whatever you want. Thems the rules.
You can cuss on live TV. You can start boozing on the ice. You can do whatever the heck you want to do. But apparently the AHL draws the line at the double middle finger. No idea if Alex Lyon would have still gotten a suspension had it just been the one, but I guess we'll just have to wait until next season to find out.
Either way, Justice For Alex Lyon. I think if the other goalies in the league truly cared about the brotherhood, every goalie should flip the double bird after a win next season. The league can't possibly suspend all of them.