TORONTO – Questionable headshots have surrounded the Winnipeg Jets in the last six days, and Tuesday’s wild affair in Toronto was no exception.
Defenceman Ben Chiarot took issue with Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri’s high check in the neutral zone.
After delivering the check a split second after the Jets defenceman played the puck, Kadri’s momentum carried him backwards over and into the Leafs bench, and Chiarot grabbed his head as he went down. No penalty was called, and Chiarot was not injured.
“You see him leave his feet, you see him end up in their bench,” Chiarot said.
“It’s not the right time or place to chase him down, but there will be a time down the line. Might not be this year, might not be next year. But there will be a time where the shoe will be on the other foot.”
Toronto and Winnipeg will not play each other again this season, barring an unlikely Stanley Cup Final match-up.
The Jets lost 5-4 in overtime in a game they played without defenceman Jacob Trouba, who was serving the first game of a two-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of Ottawa’s Mark Stone.
“We’re missing a pretty good player tonight because of something like that,” said Chiarot. He assumed the NHL’s department of player safety would give the Kadri hit a look but declined comment as to whether he believed it was a suspendable offence.
“That’s the way the game’s played. The game is played hard.”
Jets head coach Paul Maurice questioned the cleanliness of Kadri’s hit as well.
“He’s six inches in the air when he makes contact,” Maurice said. “In my mind, from the rear view, the first thing that moves on Benny is the helmet. Didn’t like it.”
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