Kassian slams NHL and threatens Tkachuk with latest comments!

Forward Zack Kassian will serve the first game of his suspension Tuesday night when the Edmonton Oilers host the Nashville Predators.

As you know, the Oilers forward was banned for two games for going after Calgary Flames’ Matthew Tkachuk on Saturday night. He had a phone hearing with Head of Department of Player Safety George Parros on Monday before the suspension was announced. 

It hasn’t stopped him from taking a shot at the league and threatening Tkachuk some more. 

“I’d do it all over again. After speaking with Parros on the phone, he explained how the hit (by Tkachuk) is not dirty. So that gave me some clarity on what you can do, what you can’t do now.”

Many former and current NHLers agree with Kassian that Tkachuk tagged Kassian twice with hits, deemed “predatorial”, and let’s just say the Oilers’ enforcer won’t forget what was done to him on the ice. 

“I’m not crying about the hits. It’s hockey — it’s rough,” Kassian added on Tuesday. “I’ve laid big hits like that, I’ve been hit like that. But two hits are more than enough.

“If he just answers the bell right there, nothing would have happened. And he might just gain a percentage of respect in the league. If you’re going to run around like that you have to answer the bell. He clearly hasn’t done that his whole career.

“I have a great memory,” he concluded. 

Kassian will be in the lineup after the Oilers’ January break for a home game against Tkachuk’s Flames on Jan. 29, and another in Calgary on Feb. 1. The two teams close out the regular season calendar with an April 4 game in Calgary.

Watch out!