It’s one thing to stand up for yourself after taking a big hit from an opponent. It’s another thing to take retaliation to the next level by endangering that opponent, especially after a clean hit. Edmonton Oilers forward Zack Kassian overreacted to the nth degree on Saturday after taking a hard check from Calgary Flames star Matthew Tkachuk and now the league has stepped in to review the situation. The Department of Player Safety announced this morning that Kassian will sit for a hearing on Monday and a suspension is likely.
The incident in question occurred late in the second period of Saturday’s rivalry clash (video). Tkachuk lays a powerful, but legal hip check on an unsuspecting Kassian behind Calgary’s net. Kassian gets up from the hit, immediately looking for revenge. It is worth noting that Tkachuk hit Kassian with a not-as-clean check to the head earlier in the game, so it is understandable that the veteran might be looking to put the youngster in his place. However, the way about which Kassian handled the matter was over the top. With Tkachuk still trying to work the puck out from behind the net, Kassian drops his gloves and goes right to the face of the unaware Tkachuk. Kassian proceeds to throw Tkachuk to the ice, deliver a punch to the back of his head, pull him back up, and then deliver several more punches before Tkachuk again falls to the ice and the referees are able to separate the pair. All the while, Tkachuk was merely trying to protect his face while being rag-dolled, never even given the chance to defend himself, nevertheless the opportunity to truly match up with Kassian in a fair fight. Kassian was handed a four-minute double minor for roughing and a ten-minute misconduct for the play.
However, that is unlikely to be the end of the discipline for Kassian. The physical forward is a repeat offender, which will make it very difficult to escape this incident without another suspension. Kassian’s first encounter with Player Safety occurred in 2013 with the Vancouver Canucks, when he was suspended for the first five games of the 2013-14 season as part of an eight-game ban that included three preseason games, stemming from an intentional high sticking penalty. He received another suspension that same season, a three-game ban for a hit from behind. Unrelated to Player Safety, Kassian also sat for 32 games in the 2015-16 season as a member of the Montreal Canadiens for substance abuse issues. Kassian has a long history with NHL discipline and it is likely to lengthen after Monday’s hearing, as he again has shown a lack of restraint, awareness, and self-control that cannot be tolerated in the NHL.
I mean….Kassian probably saw this coming
Haha nice
Unfortunately they do look at the past and Kassian has over last few years changed his game from being a 4th line tough guy to a good offensive player , despite Tkachuk’s reputation of being an agitator , he could have skated away or challenged him not go after him as he did, this is as repeated his first rodeo .
League is only allowed to go back a certain amount of time to take past into relation to a current ruling. Last time Kassian was suspended was 6 years ago for boarding. This exceeds the time they can use it as labeling him a repeat offender. Kassian will likely receive a fine or 1 game suspension. Majority of media is calling this an error of officiating by not penalizing Tkachuk for the first hit which was deemed by most an illegal hit or for not penalizing him for a charge on the 2nd hit.
I suspect their game on the 29th will have Edmonton skate all their most physical guys and tell them to target the skilled players of Calgary. See if Lucic can earn his pay as Flames fans see him being there to protect their skilled guys. Should be an interesting home and home series to finish the month.
isn’t his first rodeo (oops!), time for some Almond Amaretto cappuccino
Hey, bud, make sure it’s 0% proof at this hour of the day! :) P.S. – Almond Amaretto – good flavor choice!
No spirits of alcohol for me , just to warm the bones up with winds coming down from the north right smack down the river.
Kassian is my new hero. Anyone that punches that guy deserves a free steak dinner.
Haha for real. Tkachuk knows what he did. He got what he deserved