Not known for a dirty or over-the-line style, Rasmus Ristolainen nevertheless was ejected from last night’s Buffalo Sabres-Pittsburgh Penguins game after delivering a bone-crushing open ice hit on Jake Guentzel without the Penguins’ forward ever touching the puck. Ristolainen had decided to hit him before the pass was deflected, and carried through the check likely not realizing it had changed direction.
Guentzel was bloodied, and lost his footing when he tried to stand up. He wouldn’t return to the game, and was immediately diagnosed with a concussion. John Vogl of the Buffalo News writes that Ristolainen may face further discipline from the league, but his head coach doesn’t think he should. “I don’t like the fact that he got ejected,” coach Dan Bylsma told Vogl, saying that his defenseman was committed to the hit, and unfortunately the puck didn’t get there. The Buffalo defender will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety tomorrow afternoon.
- Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reminds us that KHL forward Vladimir Sobotka‘s season came to an end Sunday, but he remains under contract through April 30th. There has been some speculation that Sobotka could rejoin the Blues for their playoff run, but he would have to negotiate an early release from Omsk to return before May. That doesn’t necessarily remove him from the playoff picture, but as we’ve heard from their front office before, it still is a very unlikely scenario.
- The Cleveland Monsters of the AHL have signed two free agents to amateur tryouts for the remainder of the season, inking Scott Savage and Hayden Hodgson today. Savage has just completed his four years at Boston College where he scored 29 points in 40 games as a defenseman this season. Hodgson played this year as an over-ager for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, breaking out with 66 points in 67 games. Neither player is considered much of an NHL prospect, though things can change in a hurry once they enter professional hockey.