Connor Clifton gets ejected from game in front of his entire family!
For a headshot on Devils’ Nico Hischier.
HockeyFeed
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton was looking to impress his family on Friday night when they attended his game against the Devils in New Jersey. However, the 28-year-old blue liner did not offer them a full performance as he received a match penalty for a high hit that injured Devils captain and star forward Nico Hischier. He was out of the game by the time the first frame came to an end...
Clifton hit Hischier directly in the head with his shoulder late in the first period. He was immediately ejected from the game.
This is the hit in question. Clifton was also handed a fighting major for the aftermath because Hischier’s teammate Ondrej Palat rushed to his captain’s defense. The Devils' forward got an instigator penalty, a fighting major, and a 10-minute misconduct.
Clifton, who signed a three-year contract with the Sabres as a free agent at $3.33 million per season on July 1, had invited his family to the game and a fan in attendance caught their reaction to the hit, and the ensuing game misconduct.
I bet this is not what they had in mind when they made their way to the Prudential Center for the game on Friday.
Hischier left the game and sat out the rest of the opening frame but returned in the second period.
Clifton spent the past season playing for the Bruins in Boston. In his first season with the Sabres, he has collected just one assist in seven contests. And this game misconduct gets added to the mix. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety will take a look at the headshot to Hischier. Clifton could get suspended for his actions. He will have a hearing on Saturday for the Illegal Check to the Head on Hischier, it was confirmed after the game.
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