TORONTO – Nazem Kadri won’t receive a suspension for his hit on Daniel Sedin in Saturday’s Leafs-Canucks game, Sportsnet has learned.
The NHL’s department of player safety reviewed the play and determined that Sedin’s shoulder, rather than his head, was the main point point of contact.
Kadri was assessed a charging major at 6:42 of the third period after swooping into the defensive zone and levelling Sedin from the blindside just as he scored a goal. The collision knocked the helmet off the veteran Canucks forward, who smacked his head as he fell to the ice.
Sedin was put through the concussion protocol by trainers and returned to the game.
The Vancouver players made it clear to reporters afterwards that they expected Kadri to be suspended, and general manager Jim Benning released a statement once news surfaced Sunday that he wouldn’t: “We disagree with the ruling this morning and are very disappointed. However, we must accept it and put it behind us so we can focus on tomorrow’s game.”
Tempers then flared up repeatedly on a night where 171 minutes in penalties were assessed, including game misconducts to both starting goalies: Ryan Miller and Frederik Andersen.
Toronto won 6-3.
Kadri has been one of the Leafs most effective players this season while being deployed in a shutdown role. He has six goals and nine point in 12 games.
The 26-year-old has been suspended three times by the department of player safety and would have been considered a repeat offender if it elected to do so again. He has forfeited nearly $400,000 in salary during his NHL career for the suspensions, two diving fines and a fine for making a throat-slash gesture at an opponent.
