Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey will have a hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety after slamming Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie to the ice during a game Wednesday night.
The league did not announce a specific day or time of when Morrissey’s hearing will take place. The Jets host the Buffalo Sabres on Friday.
As you can see in the video at the top of the page, Morrissey throws Oshie to the ice in the corner following a brief battle for the puck. Oshie appeared dazed following the play and Morrissey did not receive a penalty.
In past seasons a play like this wouldn’t typically result in a hearing or any supplemental discipline talk, however the play is similar in nature to the one from earlier this season involving Mike Matheson of the Florida Panthers and Vancouver Canucks rookie Elias Pettersson.
Matheson was suspended two games for the play below that resulted in Pettersson sustaining a concussion.
It’s unclear how much time, if any, Oshie might miss – he has sustained multiple diagnosed concussions during his NHL career – but Capitals head coach Todd Reirden compared the play to the Matheson-Pettersson incident.
“It’s something I think the league is going to look at,” Reirden told reporters following Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to the Jets. “It’s similar to a situation that happened in Vancouver earlier in the year — a vulnerable player that’s thrown to the ice.”
Morrissey was suspended one game this past April for cross-checking Minnesota Wild centre Eric Staal in the face during a playoff contest, so the Jets blueliner would be considered a repeat offender.
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