Terriers Dealing With Former Viper Garrett Noonan's Suspension:

Former Vernon Vipers defenceman Garrett Noonan has been suspended two games.  Here is an article on the suspension. Noonan is in his third season at Boston University, in 21 games this season Noonan has (4-11-15). Noonan was named to the 2012-2013 Preseason All-American Team this year. Noonan was drafted by the Nashville Predators in round 4 #112 overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Noonan played one season in Vernon (2009-2010) collecting (2-16-18) in 58 regular season games with the Vipers.

Garrett Noonan's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=48219

This is posted on the WTBU Radio website:

M Hockey: Dealing With Spearing and Other Penalties

Posted on January 25, 2013

by Jashvina Shah/Staff Beat Reporter

Even before Hockey East decided it would suspend Boston University men’s hockey defenseman Garrett Noonan another game for his spear on UMass-Lowell’s Doug Carr, coach Jack Parker had already called the 21-year-old into his office.

“I asked him what he thought I was going to do and his first response was, ‘I don’t know. Whatever you do, I deserve it,’ “ Parker said.

“And then he said, ‘But I would imagine I’m going to get a second game.’ And I said, ‘Why would you say that?’ ‘Because that’s what you did to [Alexx] Privitera.’ “

After calling Noonan into his office, Parker said he called UMass-Lowell coach Norm Bazin to apologize and inform him of Noonan’s additional suspension. It was during that conversation that Bazin mentioned Noonan and Carr were from the same area.

“Then I thought to myself, maybe they have history here. Maybe they got into street fights when they were kids,” Parker said.

“So I got off the phone and I called Garrett and said, ‘I got to ask you something. You know that kid, Carr very well?’ ‘Oh yeah we’re from the same area. He’s a good buddy of mine.’ I said, ‘Did you have a history with him?’ ‘No. We’re buddies. He sold it, you know.’ ”

Not long after that conversation, Parker found out about Hockey East’s decision to also suspend Noonan for an additional game. The veteran coach then called Dan Schachte, Hockey East’s coordinator of officials,

“He sees me calling, he thinks I’m going to be mad so he says, ‘Jack I was waiting for your call,’ “ Parker said. “I said, ‘Well I just want to make one comment to you.’ He said, ‘What’s that?’ I said, ‘Great minds think along the same track.’ “

For his spear, Noonan was handed a five-minute major and a game disqualification in last Saturday’s loss to UMass-Lowell.

Schachte and Parker’s decision means Noonan will miss both games of BU’s home-and-home weekend series against Providence, a team tied with the Terriers (12-9-0, 9-6-0 HEA) in the standings with 18 points.

“It’s good that both of us did it. It lets my guys know that I’m not going to stand for that, it also lets the other teams know the league isn’t going to stand for that,” Parker said.

Noonan, who was named an assistant captain during the midseason break, is tied for scoring by Hockey East defenseman. Parker said he thinks the Norfolk, Mass. native played better in the first half of the season than he did last year.

“I think Garrett Noonan is a great kid. I think Garrett Noonan wants to win as much as anybody in that dressing room. I think Garrett Noonan is teed off he’s missing two games and he knows it’s his fault,” Parker said.

“So I think it’ll do it. I think more importantly than anything else I think he knows he hurt his team. Then and this weekend too. And he doesn’t want to do that.”

After speaking to Parker, Noonan addressed his teammates and apologized to them.

“He apologized in front of the whole team, because we really do need him in the lineup. It’s sad not to have him for two games so we’re going to be hurting back there a little bit, but luckily we got enough guys to step up and fill in for him when he’s out,” assistant captain Ryan Ruikka said.

“I think it was a little bit hard for him but he manned up to it and did what he needed to do and guys respect that.”

The Terriers have dealt with some unwise penalties this season, and earlier defenseman Alexx Privitera was suspended two games after kicking someone while BU was in Denver.

“Coach has implemented some stuff to get us not to take dumb penalties and stick penalties and stuff so we’ve been working that,” Ruikka said. “I think we kind of slipped away from it here and we beat ourselves in these last few games and it’s cost us.”

Parker has been punishing stupid penalties — what Ruikka referred to as all stick penalties — by making players hit the bike for 20 miles.

“[They’re] not fun,” Ruikka said.

“Obviously there’s a high stick and that’s an accident and stuff but it’s up to his discretion. So if it’s a dumb penalty you can tell, there’s video review and he can watch that so he knows.”