After announcing a hearing just a few hours ago, the Department of Player Safety has made a quick ruling on Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov. The league announced (Twitter link) that the blueliner has been handed a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head against Detroit forward Lucas Raymond.
The incident occurred early in the second period today with Zadorov receiving a match penalty on the play. As the league’s accompanying video notes, Zadorov’s hit satisfies both elements for an illegal check to the head with the head being the principal point of contact and the hit being avoidable; it was deemed that Zadorov’s hit was mistimed and that he needed to take a better angle to hit Raymond’s core.
With Vancouver being back in action on Sunday, the league needed to make a ruling fairly quickly. Zadorov will miss that contest against Washington as well as Tuesday’s game versus Chicago; he’ll be eligible to return on Thursday when they host Detroit in a rematch of today’s game. It’s the first suspension of Zadorov’s career and he will forfeit a little over $39K in salary, that money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Good call
How many games will Morgan Reilly get for realizing the Leafs aren’t very good and taking it out on Ridley Greig?
Reilly isn’t with the Canucks, which continually receive maximum attention from league office; had what happened in Chicago re sexual abuse occurred in Vancouver would have been stripped of a lot of draft picks (which should have happened in Chicago IMO) … Reilly should also receive 2 games but…
Reilly deserves 5. Hit after the play ended, and at the end of the game. Bush league.
No injury to Raymond, no suspension history for Zadarov… surprised it’s more than a game. But considering who considers these infractions, why should I be surprised. We have players swinging sticks at other players heads in frustration who MAY get a minor penalty and then say they weren’t trying to hurt the guy.