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Former Detroit Red Wings player Martin Frk has come under fire for his reckless play, resulted in a high skate to Lawerence Pilut's neck area, with many calling for a lifetime ban on the player.
The incident occurred during a Swiss National League matchup between Lausanne and Rapperswil-Jona last week. During a play, both Martin Frk and Lawrence Pilut went in for puck possession.
After a bit of tussling to get their stick on the puck, Frk was meleed into the Rapperswil-Jona's bench. Pilut was reportedly hit with a skate up to his face, slightly above his chin, by Frk in the process.
Fortunately, Lawrence Pilut did not suffer a serious injury. Initially, Martin Frk was given a one-game suspension, pending an investigation into the incident. Subsequently, the disciplinary committee in Switzerland punished the former Red Wings player with a five-game suspension along with a fine of 7,600 Swiss francs ($8,744).
According to reports, the decision was made because Frk had intentionally kicked Pilut.
Fans took to X to express their indignation at Marc Frk's antics, which could have resulted in a horrific incident as they demanded a lifetime ban on the former Red Wings player. One tweeted:
"Suspend him forever"
Another chimed in:
"Reckless beyond belief, fortunately this didn’t end someone’s life."
Here are some more reactions on X:
The incident occurred just less than six weeks after former Pittsburgh Penguins player Adam Johnson tragically died after taking a skate to the neck during a game between the Nottingham Panthers and Sheffield Steelers in the EIHL.
Martin Frk's NHL stats
Before playing in the Swiss league, Frk played in the NHL for six years. He was drafted 49th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2012 draft.
After playing two seasons for the Red Wings, the 30-year-old Czech winger spent three seasons with the LA Kings and had a brief stint of two games with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Martin Frk, in his brief six-year career, notched up 41 points through 20 goals and 21 assists in 124 games.
