Wednesday, during a non-conference game between the Boston Bruins and the Calgary Flames, there was a questionable hit. You can see the hit below.
At the 08:29 mark of the third period, Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask stopped Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau on a partial breakaway. After the save, Gaudreau was driven into the ice near the end boards by Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.
Looking at the video, it appears that McAvoy’s elbow/shoulder makes contact with Gaudreu’s head area. For his efforts, McAvoy was assessed a two-minute minor for interference. Gaudreau was checked out via the NHL concussion protocol.
After Wednesday’s game, Flames coach Bill Peters had this to say about the hit in question.
“Probably no puck and I know the league is trying to crack down on that stuff,” Peters said. “You’ve gotta protect the star players, to a certain extent. You want to come to an NHL game and you want to see the marquee names and want to see them play and play well.”
Thursday, Gaudreau was in the lineup against the Nashville Predators, and McAvoy suited up against the Edmonton Oilers.
I know the league wants to cut down on concussions and hits to the head. In this case, Gaudreau wasn’t hurt on the play. That said, here’s my question, did the McAvoy get away with one? Was this a suspendable hit? To Hockey East fans, this looks like some Terrier on Eagle violence.
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