Zach Hyman Suspended Two Games For Hit On Charlie McAvoy

5:50: The Department of Player Safety has suspended Hyman for two games for the hit against McAvoy on Saturday. He is expected to miss games in Carolina and then a key divisional matchup against Tampa Bay on Thursday. He will be back in the Maple Leafs’ lineup for Saturday’s game in Florida. Hyman will forfeit $24,193.55 from the suspension.

1:14: The Department of Player Safety announced that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman will have a hearing today for interference on Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy on Saturday.

Hyman was ejected from Saturday’s game against Boston after a blindsiding hit against McAvoy with about 10 minutes left in the game and Toronto trailing 6-2. McAvoy was having a solid night with a plus-four rating in more than 18 minutes of ice time. McAvoy was just in his second game back after returning from a concussion, which had sidelined him for 20 games. McAvoy exited the game to undergo concussion protocol. He did return to the bench in the final minute of the game.

Boston head coach Bruce Cassidy believed Saturday that it deserved a look from the Department of Player Safety.

“I thought it was late. I thought it was unnecessary. If the league takes a look at it – I don’t know if they will or not, usually they do if there’s a major involved. It’s one of those things where you’re at a point in the game, hasn’t been a lot of body checking from the other team and all of a sudden there’s a late unsuspecting one, and it annoys you,” said Cassidy. “Especially when it’s Charlie [McAvoy], who had just came back [from a concussion]. So you’re wondering are they targeting him or not? You don’t know that.”