Toronto Maple Leafs forward Nazem Kadri has been offered an in-person hearing after being ejected from Saturday’s game for cross-checking Boston Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk.
Giving Kadri the opportunity for an in-person meeting with the player safety department means he can be suspended more than five games.
With six minutes remaining in what was a rough Game 2 of the first-round series between the clubs, Kadri took exception to DeBrusk’s hard hit on Patrick Marleau. Though Marleau was fine, Kadri immediately jumped in to retaliate against DeBrusk and cross-checked him in the face. DeBrusk dropped, and remained down on the ice while a scrum ensued. Kadri was given a five-minute major for cross-checking and a game misconduct.
Kadri and DeBrusk had been battling all game, and emotions began to boil over in the second period when Kadri went down after a knee-on-knee collision with his opponent.
The Leafs forward has built up a reputation with the Department of Player Safety. Just last year, Kadri earned himself a three-game suspension for boarding then-Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in Game 1 of the clubs’ first-round playoff series.
Kadri did not speak with the media following Saturday’s game, a 4-1 Bruins victory to even the series at 1-1. When asked about the infraction, Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said he didn’t see it and has not yet reviewed it.
“Obviously, the League decides on all this kind of stuff. I didn’t see it and haven’t reviewed because it was down the wall from us. I haven’t reviewed it so I don’t really know that,” Babcock told reporters. “It was a game, it was a physical game, the referees, the way they refed the game let a lot of stuff go, obviously. In the end, you can’t let that get in the way of what you’re doing. Playing in the Stanley Cup playoffs isn’t supposed to be easy and it’s worth it. You’ve just got to find another level to dig in.”
[polldaddy poll=10294194]
Game 3 takes place in Toronto on Monday night at 7 p.m. ET.
[relatedlinks]
