Alexis Lafreniere gets bullied following reverse hit on Mikhail Sergachev

The incident has gone viral, especially since it was announced that Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev suffered a double leg fracture on the hit. During Wednesday’s contest against the New York Rangers, Sergachev was injured when he fell awkwardly after forward Alexis Lafreniere landed a reverse check on him. The blue liner was in excruciating pain, and required a stretcher to leave the ice.

As Sergachev left the ice, visibly in tears, he quickly spoke to Lafreniere who went over to him and checked on him. It was clear that the Rangers’ forward was upset about injuring his rival.

This heartbreaking scene did not prevent some fans for calling out Lafreniere and calling him a dangerous or even a dirty player. While a reverse hit is not anyone’s favorite move, it is clear to me that Lafreniere’s actions were never intentional.

Darren Dreger comments on the abuse Lafreniere got on social media, explaining how it was not the Rangers forward’s fault in this incident. This is what Dreger had to say about the play on last night’s Insider Trading on TSN:

“This is obviously a terrible result for Sergachev and the Lightning on Wednesday night. I think the consensus is that New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere didn’t do anything wrong, but it was a reverse hit.

“Most people in the community, generally general managers, don’t like the reverse hit. Yes, I understand that it’s a grey area and the general managers have talked about this before. It’s more the reverse hit below the goal line or in a skating situation.”

Dreger maintains, and I feel the same way, that the incident is not Lafreniere’s fault, but did mention that the NHL could discuss, as it has been talked about in past meetings, reverse hits and their consequences in the near future.

I can only wish Sergachev a speedy recovery as he rehabilitates from surgery on fractures on both his tibia and fibula in his left leg.

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