The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without one of their most physical players for the rest of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins. The Department of Player Safety announced today that forward Nazem Kadri has been given a suspension of up to five games for his cross-check on Jake DeBrusk in Saturday night’s game. Kadri was responding to a hit on Patrick Marleau, and hit DeBrusk right in the face with his stick. Instead of giving the Maple Leafs forward a determined number of games, the league decided it was best to keep him out for the remainder of the series instead. As the accompanying video explains:
This is not a hockey play. Instead, this is a player retaliating against an opponent by using his stick as a weapon to make forceful and direct head contact. While we understand that Kadri took offense to DeBrusk’s hit against Marleau, players are simply not permitted to flagrantly violate league playing rules because they feel that retribution is justified. It is also important to note that Kadri has an extensive disciplinary track record that must be considered when issuing supplemental discipline.
This will be Kadri’s fifth suspension and one that is eerily similar to his last. Almost exactly a year ago the Maple Leafs center was suspended for a check on Boston’s Tommy Wingels in their first round series and was given a three-game ban. Toronto would eventually lose that series in seven games and many consider Kadri’s absence a contributing—if not ultimately determining—factor.
Though the league has not handed out many suspensions that can vary in length before, this is not entirely without precedent. In 2013, San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres was suspended for the rest of his series against the Los Angeles Kings after a hit to the head of Jarret Stoll. Torres similarly had a long history of discipline, which included at that point a 21-game suspension (reduced from the original 25) for another head shot. Torres would eventually receive an even longer suspension in 2015 when he was banned for half a season.
While Kadri doesn’t have quite the reputation that Torres built over his playing career, that is the kind of discipline he’ll have to be wary of in the future. The Department of Player Safety has been clear that they will not tolerate repeat offenders especially when incidents are similar in nature. In fact, the Kadri video today brought up a similar cross-checking incident from his past when he struck Luke Glendening in the face with his stick in retaliation. His discipline will only increase unless he finds a way to stop these retaliatory incidents from occurring.
Good
Natural consequences would’ve been so much better
What are natural consequences?
Probably letting the Bruins players retaliate on the ice.
I’m a Leafs fan and I would have loved to seen him play game 7 in Boston.
At some point,his stupidity has to outweigh that contract.
But let him learn his lesson that way. Can you imagine if he brought that stick up against Wensick or Bobby Schmautz? We’d still be there.
Or Stan Johnathan?
Learn what? He was suspended last year during the series too. He is just a really dirty player
100% agree. I enjoyed it a lot more when the players policed the games
agree with natural consequences lol ^
I say just put him in a room with that other bonehead Tom Wilson and let them cheap shot each other to the death. Whichever one walks out only gets a 41 game suspension. NHL needs to get serious about banning guys like this.
Good. Deservedly so. He’s a dirty player and he should be forced to sit and watch. It’s a shame he isn’t going to learn from this though. Like Marchand, he’ll just keep doing stupid things.
Marchand was good this year! No suspensions, 100 points, less than 100 PIM
Kadri did something wrong, I’ve watched it over and over again, but I’ve seen so many more vicious things done in hockey. In my opinion, the Bruins are one of the dirtiest clubs in the league, the hit on Marleau because of the location on the ice, being a prime example. Kadri was playing the “Bruins game”, that the referees were letting them play. I don’t condone Kadri’s check, but if the referees and league want to close their eyes and let them play, then they need to do it for the entire game, not just for part of it. I used to not like Kadri, but I’ve grown to admire him because he’s not the biggest, strongest guy, but maybe has the biggest heart on the Maple Leafs club, wants to win, loves to play for the Leafs and plays with emotion! I wish more of the Leafs were like that!
Marchand could have buried Marner into the boards in game 2 and pulled up. He selects when he agitates. He’s learned unlike Kadri
Naz would be rid of this loose-cannon-itis of his if he had encountered the Legendary Bennett Wolf just once…
Difference is Tom Wilson will face the music and fight
Kadri gets suspended for the rest of the Round yet none of the Boston Goons!!!!!!!! aka the Thunder Bay Bombers get anything!!!!!!!!! All I know the Boston hits on Toronto players including hits on Kadri were far worse then anything Kadri did. Chara slamming Kadri’s head on the ice. the Guy for Toronto who got viciously hit into the glass in a very bad spot on the Ice also in which Kadri got pissed off about!!!!!!!!!!!. Go Toronto!!!!!!!!!!! and better Yet Go Blue Jackets!!!!!!!!!!!!! a Team with Actual Class!!!!!!!!!!!! and who have done what only 3 other teams have done in NHL History Swept the Presidents Trophy winner aka the team with the Best Regular Season Record the other 3 won the Freaking Cup!!!!!!!!!
Very True Sick of the Bruins and Even more sick of the Boston Fan Base in any sport Football, Baseball, Basketball, Hockey they are across the Board the Worst Fans in Sports!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Remember the Movie Youngblood The Boston Bruins are the Thunder Bay Bombers and they have a Bunch of Racki’s on their team. And Rask should be sued by the makers of the film for his Mask. Looks too much like the Goalie mask in the film for Thunder Bay’s Team.
Go Leafs!!!!!!!!!!!! I am rooting for the Blue Jackets to win the Cup and if History Holds serve they will!!!!!!!!.