The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Wednesday that Flames winger Martin Pospisil has been suspended for three games for boarding Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn in the third period of Monday’s game. His suspension opens a roster spot for the Flames as they continue to work out a trade to send top-four blue-liner Noah Hanifin to the Golden Knights.
Pospisil was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct on the play. Dunn sustained an apparent head injury and did not return for the game’s final minutes.
The Department of Player Safety said Pospisil’s actions constituted supplemental discipline because “the onus is on Pospisil to avoid this hit entirely, change his angle of approach and deliver this check legally, or, at the very least, minimize the impact of this hit. Instead, with time to make a different decision, Pospisil chooses to drive Dunn forcefully into the boards from behind.”
Pospisil, 24, has not been fined or suspended throughout his 45-game NHL career. Since making his Flames debut in early November, the 2018 fourth-round pick has worked his way into a full-time role, posting six goals, nine assists, and 15 points with a +8 rating. The Zvolen, Slovakia native has demonstrated a willingness to play on the edge and has gotten burned for it, garnering 72 PIMs. It’s otherwise been a promising rookie season for Pospisil, who boasts a 53.5 CF% at even strength and a +0.9 expected rating while logging 12:06 per game.
His suspension means Nazem Kadri is now without both his most common linemates this season, Pospisil and rookie Connor Zary. Zary is on injured reserve and listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. In their absence, Kadri is expected to center midseason trade pickup Andrei Kuzmenko and 2019 first-round pick Jakob Pelletier.
Pospisil runs around. He’s going to have to learn to fight.
Thug.
A thug that refuses to fight isn’t a thug, he’s a coward.
I think Hakstol said it best…
“You’re going to run around like that, you probably need to answer when somebody (Kartye) comes at you, and that didn’t happen.”
Coward.
He has a history of concussions for fighting, so he doesn’t. How does that make you a coward?
It makes you a coward because you obviously know the seriousness of head injuries; nonetheless, you are willing to recklessly injure others without being willing to accept the consequences.
Not fighting doesn’t make you a coward. Throwing cheap-shot hits to try and make a name for yourself and then turning turtle… yeah, that makes you the worst kind of coward – afraid to get hurt, but not afraid to hurt others.
Enough cowardice will leave someone spineless in this case.
Matthew Tkachuk makes it a point to cause and then turtles, making players hate him even more. How is that a bad thing?
Martin Pospisil is not Matthew Tkachuk…
but ‘yes’, Matthew Tkachuk is a despicable person. Imagine if he had a job in the real world instead of the NHL… would you want to work with a guy that acts like that? If you would, that says a lot about you.
We’re not talking about the real world here…we’re talking about a game. Get a grip…
Oh… it’s a game…
Well, in that case…
Martin Pospisil is a coward.
Getting a grip really helps… now it makes so much more sense.
I was so “off the hook” I didn’t realize that injuring players with cheap shots and then hiding behind your injury history is just a game.
I like that game.
Ladies, ladies. If this NHL stuff is too offensive, maybe it’s time to find a different corner of the internet to infest.
I’d flag your patronizing “feminine” characterization as offensive if it wasn’t so accurate. Now I’m gonna go infest the Golden Knights boards… they really do deserve it.
Relax Dog….hockey is it? We are just having a debatable conversation. No need to hear how you feel about being a millennial. We’re actually talking hockey here.
What are you doing here?? True Hockey Fans want to know.
Tkucky, Marchant, players like that all do it. It’s a freakn skill when a player can be an agitator in this league. You’re despicable for calling out others and not knowing real hockey. Sure Pops went overboard, but it’s what happens sometimes when you always play on the line. Hopefully he learns from it and doesn’t go over that line.
You hate players like that? I’m from Calgary, so maybe a little biased, especially about Tkucky…but he knows how to play and get under other players skin. I remember once he drew a triple penalty for turtling. He is one of the best agitators in the league. That’s what they do…
Let me guess…you think Reilly’s hit was justified and that he didn’t deserve the suspension he got?
Reilly hit was worse… completely unjustified. I thought the slapshot was “bush league” but the response was way over the top.
I think something along the lines of what Pospisil is getting now would’ve been much better. Call it out after the game for the “garbage” that it was and then listen to everyone rank on the player. Sure, there are a few “homers” who are going to try and rationalize it, but when you’re a “clown”, people notice.
I’m good with both suspensions.
I don’t condone the hit. It’s his first major like that, so let’s give him a break lol. His style of play is exactly what is needed (and wanted) on a team. Yes, he went overboard, but I really don’t think he did it to p!ss people like you off. Every coach in this league will tell you how important players like that are…though. That’s what I’m saying…
Relax brother…
Get a grip and relax… cool.
First major… second cheap shot of the game. Yes, I get that it’s his “style” of play and that teams want players like that… but they don’t want those players suspended and they don’t want those players afraid to “answer the bell”… because someone is going to… and before you give me Tkachuk again… as much as you might disagree… his game is 100 points a season, not this garbage.
I’m not saying he has to fight, I’m saying he has to stop throwing cheap shots. The fact that he’s trying to have it both ways is bogus.
…and now I’m chillin’
You have great points and I agree for the mostest part. I am a Homer when it comes to my teams players, so I’m chilling too. I think Reilly got what he deserved for a pre-meditated attack, but I’m also on the side of Greig. He did it to get that reaction, and it worked. Except that turn of events probably saved the Leafs season to a point.
I agree that Pops should get a suspension, but maybe only 1 or 2. It was more of a split second decision that went bad. The league is sending a message to him early in his career. Hopefully he stays right on the line and doesn’t do that again. I like his play and he actually is a pretty solid rookie that plays with emotion, which is great.
You keep bringing Tkucky being a 100 point player and all, but he didn’t start that way. He was pretty much just like Pops there, early in his career. I remember the feuds with Doughty, Kassian, and a player on every other team. I truly appreciate that side of hockey as well, because it is a throwback to the old style of play. Vintage hockey.
That’s why I defend it so heartily…
I think the Kassian dust-up was a real turning point for Tkachuk. This Pospisil thing has reminded me a lot of that. At the time he rightly pointed out that he wasn’t gonna fight some fourth-liner and get himself taken out of the game for it. Maybe that was it, maybe not, but it was definitely smart AND defensible. There’s no denying what a smart player he is. But I also think after that episode he was smart enough to realize he could be a “pest” and not “run” players, and he’s dialed his game a little.
The guy who squared off on Pospisil, Kartye, he plays a similar game to him, but is, I think, more conscientious.
Hopefully Pospisil will, like Tkachuk, adjust. Given his concussion history, he’s gonna need to. He can’t be Tom Wilson without fighting.
…and nice “how do ya do” for doghockey, on this, we agree.