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Oilers’ Zack Kassian To Face Player Safety Hearing

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It’s one thing to stand up for yourself after taking a big hit from an opponent. It’s another thing to take retaliation to the next level by endangering that opponent, especially after a clean hit. Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian overreacted to the nth degree on Saturday after taking a hard check from Calgary Flames star Matthew Tkachuk and now the league has stepped in to review the situation. The Department of Player Safety announced this morning that Kassian will sit for a hearing on Monday and a suspension is likely.

The incident in question occurred late in the second period of Saturday’s rivalry clash (video). Tkachuk lays a powerful, but legal hip check on an unsuspecting Kassian behind Calgary’s net. Kassian gets up from the hit, immediately looking for revenge. It is worth noting that Tkachuk hit Kassian with a not-as-clean check to the head earlier in the game, so it is understandable that the veteran might be looking to put the youngster in his place. However, the way about which Kassian handled the matter was over the top. With Tkachuk still trying to work the puck out from behind the net, Kassian drops his gloves and goes right to the face of the unaware Tkachuk. Kassian proceeds to throw Tkachuk to the ice, deliver a punch to the back of his head, pull him back up, and then deliver several more punches before Tkachuk again falls to the ice and the referees are able to separate the pair. All the while, Tkachuk was merely trying to protect his face while being rag-dolled, never even given the chance to defend himself, nevertheless the opportunity to truly match up with Kassian in a fair fight. Kassian was handed a four-minute double minor for roughing and a ten-minute misconduct for the play.

However, that is unlikely to be the end of the discipline for Kassian. The physical forward is a repeat offender, which will make it very difficult to escape this incident without another suspension. Kassian’s first encounter with Player Safety occurred in 2013 with the Vancouver Canucks, when he was suspended for the first five games of the 2013-14 season as part of an eight-game ban that included three preseason games, stemming from an intentional high sticking penalty. He received another suspension that same season, a three-game ban for a hit from behind. Unrelated to Player Safety, Kassian also sat for 32 games in the 2015-16 season as a member of the Montreal Canadiens for substance abuse issues. Kassian has a long history with NHL discipline and it is likely to lengthen after Monday’s hearing, as he again has shown a lack of restraint, awareness, and self-control that cannot be tolerated in the NHL.

Atlantic Notes: Fabbri, Chara, Sabourin, Anderson

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The Department of Player Safety revealed that while Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri will not be suspended for spearing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alexander Kerfoot. However, they did announce that they have fined Fabbri $2,419.35, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for the incident.

The incident happened during the second period of Saturday’s game with both Fabbri and Kerfoot receiving offsetting minor penalties on the play. This is Fabbri’s first run-in with the Department of Player Safety. Fabbri has turned his career around since being traded to Detroit where he has eight goals and 16 points in 20 games for them.

  • The Boston Bruins will be without defenseman Zdeno Chara as the team announced that the 42-year-old will miss Monday’s game against Washington to undergo a follow-up procedure on his surgically-repaired jaw that he sustained during the playoffs last season. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald adds that an infection has developed within the plates and screws in his jaw and must be replaced. With the three-day break coming up, that should give the veteran some time to recover from the procedure without missing much playing time.
  • Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren revealed that injured forward Scott Sabourin is expected to return for Monday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres. Sabourin hasn’t appeared in a game since Nov. 2 after a scary collision with Boston Bruins forward David Backes. Sabourin fell face-first into the ice and suffered a concussion. He’s been skating with the team for several weeks now, but looks finally ready to suit up. The 27-year-old was faring well with Ottawa’s fourth line, posting two points and 26 hits over 11 games.
  • Sticking with Senators, Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the team will also be getting back starting goaltender Craig Anderson. It might come at the perfect time with Anders Nilsson out with a concussion and on injured reserve. Anderson has been out with a knee injury since Dec. 7, but is expected to serve as the backup to Marcus Hogberg on Monday against Buffalo. Anderson has a 3.01 GAA in 16 games and a .901 save percentage.

Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo Suspended Four Games For Cross-Checking

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4:24 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced they have suspended Bortuzzo four games for cross-checking Arvidsson, who is now listed as being out for four to six weeks because of the incident. Bortuzzo will sacrifice $67,073.16 in salary.

8:47 AM — Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson celebrated his 300th career NHL game with just 4:15 of ice time. While he managed to record an assist in that brief period, he left the game early in the first period with a lower body injury as a result of repeated cross-checks from St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo. Bortuzzo received a two-minute minor on the play, even though each of the two cross-checks likely deserved its own penalty. However, the league will make up for that on-ice error. The NHL Department of Player Safety announced last night that Bortuzzo will sit for a hearing. It has been scheduled for Sunday, ensuring that there is a decision before he could potentially face the Predators again on Monday night.

The play in question occurred just six minutes into Saturday night’s game (video). Arvidsson, standing in the St. Louis crease as the puck was loose in front of the net, initially receives a forceful check from behind from Bortuzzo, pushing him into the net. Bortuzzo actually turns and complains to the refs about how easily Arvidsson went down, even though the forward was completely blindsided by a hit from a much bigger, stronger player. Bortuzzo then turns back to Arvidsson and hits him with another cross check as he is trying to get up, one that is arguably harder and more dangerous and certainly more intentional. Arvidsson appears to feel this second check even more. For good measure, Blues goalie Jordan Binnington then shoves Arvidsson back into the goal again, although Binnington is not expected to receive any supplemental disclipline.

Few will be surprised to see Bortuzzo’s name linked to a player safety incident. The often-overly aggressive defender is a repeat offender, with his most recent suspension coming just last year after an elbow to the head of Washington Capitals defenseman Michal Kempny. He lost two preseason games and one regular season games for that incident and the league will likely want to dole out a harsher penalty for yet another infraction. Bortuzzo has made his career off of being the biggest and toughest player on the ice, but has been known to lose his cool and end up in the penalty box or in trouble with the league. This was clearly a case of Bortuzzo purposefully committing a dangerous penalty against an opponent with an intent to injure. As such, Player Safety may choose to send a message to a player who clearly has yet to learn his lesson. Expect a suspension of at least two games for the St. Louis blue liner this time around.

St. Louis’ Sundqvist Fined For Charging Anaheim’s Gibson

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4:02 PM — The hearing is over and Sundqvist did not receive a suspension. He was fined just under $7,400, according to the Associated Press’ Stephen Whyno.

12:33 PM — The Department of Player Safety announced that St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will have a hearing today for charging Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (video here) with 9:51 remaining in the second period of Saturday’s game.

While Gibson went behind the net to play the puck, Sundqvist came around and drove right into him, sparking a fight between the two teams. The 25-year-old was given two penalties, one for charging and another for roughing. Sundqvist has only been suspended once before. He received a one-game suspension on June 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals for a hit to the head against Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk.

Regardless, Sundqvist has been a popular player with the Blues, who received a new four-year, $11MM deal this summer. He scored 14 goals and 31 points last season as well as four goals in the Blues’ Stanley Cup victory run. He has three goals and seven points in 21 games this season.

Poll: Should Kucherov Have Been Disciplined For Hit On Sobotka?

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With the eyes of the hockey world on Stockholm this week for the NHL Global Series, the first game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres featured a questionable no-call, followed by an equally suspicious lack of response by the league. Sabres forward Vladimir Sobotka was forced from the game early after receiving a low-bridge hit from Lightning star Nikita Kucherov. There was no penalty called on the play and The Athletic’s Joe Smith reported that no supplemental discipline will come from the NHL Department of Player Safety. Especially after responding quickly to the Nick Foligno hit on Friday and given the visibility of the Global Series game, should the league have done more about this incident?

The hit in question is questionable indeed (video). Sobotka throws the puck on goal from out near the blue line, while continuing to coast to his left with his focus staying on the puck, now behind the Tampa net. A defenseless and unexpecting Sobotka runs into Kucherov, who has bent down and lowered his body to deliver a hip check that decks Sobotka, sending him end-over-end. This type of low bridge hit has been punished in the past by the league, but there was no call on the ice – likely as attention was on the puck – and the league did not feel it warranted further review. Yet, it seemingly meets many of the criteria that would raise the hit to the level of supplemental discipline. It was late, away from the puck, with intent, and did in fact cause injury. Sobotka was seen after the game with a cast and is expected to miss time for Buffalo.

With that said, this style of low check used to be a non-issue in the NHL. The fact that it was late and away from the play should have resulted in an interference or roughing penalty on the ice, but the hit itself would not have been finable or suspendable years ago. While the league should have at least admitted the error by the referees, there is some understanding as well as to why there was no further review. The issue now is whether the league will be consistent in not issuing discipline for low bridge hits, which the likes of Brad Marchand and Nazem Kadri have been nailed for in the past. Kucherov’s status as a superstar and the fact that the league wanted him available for game two of their international event should not have been a factor in the decision, but very well could have been.

What do you think? Should Kucherov have been disciplined for the low-bridge hit that injured Sobotka? Vote below and share your thoughts in the comments.

Columbus’ Nick Foligno To Face Player Safety Hearing

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A hit in last night’s Columbus Blue Jackets-Colorado Avalanche game resulted in an early end to the night for two players, but that won’t be the end of the story for either one. Jackets captain Nick Foligno delivered an elbow to the head of Avs forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, forcing him from the game. Foligno received a major penalty for charging and a game misconduct, but that may have just been the beginning of his trouble. The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Foligno will have a hearing on Monday to determine further supplemental discipline for the hit.

The hit in question (video) occurred late in the second period of Colorado’s 4-2 win on Friday night. Foligno appears to change direction in the neutral zone and purposefully aim his momentum upward for a hit on Bellemare. His elbow clips Bellemare in the face, the first dangerous point of contact, who then falls and hits the ice hard, with a second and potentially more harmful head contact coming from whiplash against the ice. Bellemare was dazed by the hit and helped off the ice. He did not return and a concussion is a very real possibility for the hard-working veteran.

While Foligno expressed remorse for the hit after the game, per The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, his words come off more as excuse than regret and the nature of the hit betrays his explanation altogether. What appears to be a completely intentional hit by Foligno, leaving his feet and leading with the elbow, is totally out of character for the respected captain. That likely won’t figure into Player Safety’s analysis though, in what is seemingly a cut-and-dry situation. Foligno is a first-time offender and his hearing is over the phone, limiting it in length to a maximum five games, but this is certainly a multi-game suspension.

The timing could not be worse for either team when it comes to player absences. Columbus is mired in a losing streak which could easily be extended through the length of their captain’s suspension. Meanwhile, Colorado has been dealing with struggles of their own which largely have been tied to existing injuries up front and can ill-afford another lasting absence from a regular forward.

Winnipeg’s Lowry To Have Hearing With Department Of Player Safety

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The Department of Player Safety announced that Winnipeg Jets forward Adam Lowry will have a hearing Monday for boarding Calgary’s Oliver Kylington.

The incident happened in Calgary’s zone at the end of the second period during the Jets’ 2-1 overtime victory at the outdoor Heritage Classic at Mosaic Stadium Saturday evening. Once time expired in the second period, Lowry put his shoulder right into Kylington’s head (video here). The 26-year-old received a two-minute minor for boarding, while Kylington seemed to escape any major injury as he returned and played in the third period.

Lowry has had issues with behavior before. He was suspended two games back in March of 2019 for cross-checking Nashville’s Filip Forsberg. He also received a one-game suspension in his rookie season in 2014 for boarding Buffalo’s Patrick Kaleta.

Oskar Sundqvist Suspended For Game Three Of The Stanley Cup Final

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After a hearing earlier today, St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist has been suspended one game for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk in Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final. The decision was handed down from the NHL Department of Player Safety this evening. A high hit from behind in the first period injured Grzelcyk and he did not return to the game, tilting the ice in St. Louis’ favor as Boston played two-thirds of the game with just five defenders. The Bruins will try to take advantage of karma swinging back in their direction, as the Blues will be without a key checking forward in Game Three.

Player Safety, which had top officials George Parros and Damian Echevarrieta on hand for Game Two, met with Sundqvist this afternoon and took a fair amount of time to make their decision. At the end of the day, the league could not ignore a hit to between the numbers on a defenseless player, even if Sundqvist was not intentionally trying to check Grzelcyk from behind as he played the puck behind his own net:

Sundqvist adjusts his force, then hits (Grzelcyk) forcefully from behind with speed, driving him violently into the glass and causing an injury. This is boarding. It is important to note that the boarding rule places the onus to deliver a legal check on the hitter. Therefore, while we acknowledge that Grzelcyk does adjust his body position in making a play on the puck, he does not do so in a way that absolves Sundqvist of responsibility for the nature of this hit. From the moment Sundqvist hits the bottom of the face-off circle until contact is made, Sundqvist sees nothing but Grzelcyk’s numbers. This is not a situation in which a sudden and unexpected movement by the player receiving the check turns a legal hit into an illegal one at the last moment… Sundqvist has time to react to Grzelcyk’s movements and reacts by cutting back across Grzelcyk’s body. This movement results in a more forceful and direct hit to Grzelcyk’s upper back and head, which then drives Grzelcyk’s head into the glass… Sundqvist chooses to finish his check into his opponent’s back with force. Sundqvist had sufficient time to minimize the force of this hit, avoid the hit entirely, or adjust his course to deliver a legal check.

This is not only the expected result on the play, but also a fair punishment and well-adjudicated by Player Safety. Sundqvist’s lack of any history of supplemental discipline and the fact that playoff games, Stanley Cup games in particular, are worth more than regular season games may have convinced some that he would avoid a suspension. However, the fact that Grzelcyk was hurt on a play that Sundqvist could have avoided in a game that was chippy and physical from the start hurt his case. So too did the fact that officials gave Sundqvist only a minor on a check that should have been deserving of a match penalty and could have evened the odds for the short-handed Bruins. Instead, Sundqvist will now sit for Game Three.

There is no word yet on when Grzelcyk is expected to return to the Boston lineup, but it won’t be for Game Three. NHL.com’s Amalie Benjamin reports that Grzelcyk is considered day-to-day and has entered the league’s concussion protocol. He did not travel with the team to St. Louis and will miss Game Three, but that does not rule out him re-joining Boston for Game Four or later in the series, which will go at least five games and likely longer. In the meantime, John Moore is likely to draw in for Grzelcyk on Saturday night in St. Louis.

Charlie McAvoy Suspended For Game One Of Eastern Conference Final

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The decision has been handed down from the NHL Department of Player Safety, rather quickly in fact, on Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy. Less than 24 hours after defeating the Columbus Blue Jacket to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, the Bruins have learned that they will be without their top defender for Game One against the Carolina Hurricanes. McAvoy has been suspended for one game for a hit to the head of Columbus’ Josh Anderson, the league announced.

Late in the second period of Monday night’s deciding Game Six, McAvoy was called for a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head on Anderson. Columbus fans and players alike, and head coach John Tortorella most of all, were upset that McAvoy did not receive a greater penalty for the heavy hit, especially as Anderson struggled to get back to his feet and leave the ice. The referees ultimately decided that McAvoy’s check was not worthy of a game misconduct, but clearly the Department of Player Safety disagrees, issuing an even greater penalty of a whole game suspension. In their breakdown of the play, the department explains their decision as such:

McAvoy comes across the front of (Anderson’s) body and delivers a high, hard check that makes Anderson’s head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head… McAvoy’s shoulder clearly makes direct and forceful contact with the head of Anderson… While hits from the side are not illegal, they are difficult to execute legally. In this case, while we accept McAvoy’s argument that he is not intentionally attempting to hit Anderson in the head, he takes an angle of approach that cuts in front of Anderson’s body, rather than through the near shoulder and core… McAvoy then elevates his shoulder up and into the head of Anderson, rather than staying low and aiming for Anderson’s chest or far shoulder.

It is worth noting, as the league did, that there did not appear to be intent to injure on the play, but rather it was an ill-advised and dangerous hit that earned McAvoy his suspension. McAvoy and Anderson appeared to be on good terms in the handshake line at the end of the game, indicating that there was a mutual understanding that this was not a dirty play, but simply poorly executed. It also helped McAvoy’s case that this was his first interaction with Player Safety, having never previously been suspended or fined.

A one-game suspension was the result that many expected and was likely the best-case scenario for the Bruins. Nevertheless, McAvoy’s loss for even one game is major. The 21-year-old defenseman has been Boston’s top blue liner all season, when healthy, and all postseason, along with fellow young defenseman Brandon Carlo. McAvoy is a key puck-mover for the Bruins and easily their most dependable possession defenseman in all three zones. He has logged major minutes in the playoffs skating on the team’s top pair and second power play unit, contributing six points, 30 hits, and a +8 rating through 13 games and has had to pick up the slack of pair mate Zdeno Chara, who has struggled frequently this postseason. In replacing him for Game One, head coach Bruce Cassidy will have to get creative with his defensive pairs, likely replacing McAvoy’s spot in the lineup with John Moore or Steven Kampfer and shuffling some combinations around. Expect the regular pairing of Carlo and Torey Krug to likely see top minutes in Game One on Thursday, as the Bruins try to fight through this adversity to take an early series lead on the Hurricanes.

Snapshots: Marchand, Tippett, Ruck

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Boston Bruins agitator Brad Marchand was caught “punching” Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Scott Harrington in the back of the head as time expired on Game Three on Tuesday night. While unnecessary and unsportsmanlike, the NHL Department of Player Safety has decided that the otherwise innocuous play is not suspension-worthy. As The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline points out, there are no fines in the postseason, only suspensions, as players aren’t paid for playoff games and thus there is no mechanism for calculating fines. Even with Marchand’s track record, it would have been hard to imagine a postseason suspension for the incident as well. Commissioner Gary Bettman opined that Marchand should have received a penalty on the play, but given the timing of the incident and the result holding, it would not have made a difference. One might expect the Blue Jackets to thus police the situation themselves through the rest of the series, but Portzline believes that no retaliation is coming after speaking with several players. While Marchand is capable of getting fans riled up better than anyone in the league, it seems this issues could be over as soon as it began.

  • There have been rumors for some time that Dave Tippett has been itching to get back behind an NHL bench, despite his current adviser position with the Seattle expansion team, and he is now officially taking steps toward such a move. Sportsnet’s Elliott Friedman writes that Tippett has interviewed for the Buffalo Sabres head coaching vacancy, as some speculated he might. Tippett now joins Jacques Martin and less established options like Rikard Gronberg and Sheldon Keefe among Buffalo’s top options, according to Friedman. Tippett, who has nearly 20 year of NHL coaching experience, held both the head coach and VP of Hockey Operations positions with the Arizona Coyotes when he was last in the league in 2016-17 and would still be a great option for the Sabres even after a few years off.
  • After losing starting keeper Cayden Primeau to the pros after a remarkable year, Northeastern University was hoping that graduate goaltender Ryan Ruck may stay with the program to help bridge the gap. That won’t happen, as Colorado College announced today that they have received a commitment from Ruck to join the program as a graduate transfer. Although he played in only six games last season for the Huskies, Ruck was nearly unstoppable, posting a .956 save percentage and 1.01 GAA. Those numbers should give Ruck the leg up on the starter competition at Colorado College, who lost this year’s starter Alex Leclerc to the pros. Meanwhile, Northeastern will likely have to lean on true freshman Connor Murphy in net next season.

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