Wednesday: Calvin de Haan is not likely to face any supplemental discipline for the head, according to TSN’s Bob McKenzie. While there was definite contact with Drouin’s head, it was “apparently ruled ‘unavoidable'” for de Haan.
Tuesday: The Tampa Bay Lightning tweeted that Jonathan Drouin would not return to the game after taking a hit to the head from Calvin de Haan in the first period. Video of the hit was here via SBNation, and both Erik Eriendsson and Renaud Lavoie confirmed Drouin’s inability to return.
From video, it appeared that Drouin took either a shoulder or elbow, but several outlets reported it was an elbow to the head. Teammate Ryan Callahan rushed in and dropped the gloves with de Haan immediately following the hit. The offending de Haan received a major for fighting and an extra major for interference according to the Hockey News’ Jared Clinton. Darren Dreger also tweets that the league will look at the hit.
Drouin has 5 points (2-3) in nine games this season.
Clean hit
Droid put himself in that position. No penalty was being called until Callahan jumped Dehaan. If anything Dehaan kept his elbow down, close to his body, he could’ve really wrecked Drouin. It was a 50/50 puck, when was the last time you saw a major for interference?
I feel it was clean. Neither player was looking at the other, and drouin is already smaller then de haan. Just an unfortunate chain of events.
Man, I must be getting old. Other than the fight, I didn’t see a problem. It was a play that just happened quickly.
Wow! Is the NHL getting to the point if a player makes a clean hard Check ( as his players job requires him to do so) as DeHaan did ( it was a clean hit, as both players were looking at the puck, DeHaan did nothing more then he should have!) Sooo now @ the end of a hard clean Check? That his Teammates feels the need to rush in & actually hurt & do bodily harm to the player that initiated a clean Check?! Unreal! It’s Callahan that should be suspended at least 1 game check, not DeHaan…