NHL makes NO SENSE with latest discipline
We can understand why Jason Spezza is pissed!
HockeyFeed
On Tuesday night, it was announced that Toronto Maple Leafs veteran forward Jason Spezza was suspended six games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for kneeing Jets defenseman Neal Pionk in Winnipeg on Sunday night. He will forfeit $21,000 in pay.
The incident happened in the third period when Pionk was reaching to clear the puck with his hand. Spezza’s knee made contact with Pionk’s head on the hit. The blue liner is now in concussion protocol, though he was suspended as well. Pionk is serving a two-game suspension after a knee-on-knee hit on Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin earlier in the same game.
Later that same night, another kneeing incident took place, this time in the game between the Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets. Canes defenseman Ian Cole was seen skating towards star forward Mark Scheifele and taking his knee out to hit him. It resulted in a knee on knee collision, though Scheifele was able to finish that third period. Cole was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for kneeing.
On Wednesday, Cole was fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for kneeing Scheifele.
While we get that Cole didn’t go after Scheifele’s head, you can understand how Spezza might be pissed about this call. Contrary to Cole, Spezza was never suspended prior to this discipline.
What do you make of the league’s decision?