The NHL’s Division of Participant Security has suspended St. Louis Blues’ ahead Oskar Sunqvist for one sport. The 25-year-old heart would hit Boston Bruins’ defender Matt Grzelcyk’s head into the end-glass within the first interval of Recreation 2 of the Stanley Cup Last.
The 25-year-old heart would hit Boston Bruins’ defender Matt Grzelcyk’s head into the end-glass within the first interval of Recreation 2 of the Stanley Cup Last.
St. Louis’ Oskar Sundqvist has been suspended for one sport for Boarding Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk. https://t.co/2W0ZLnn9fI— NHL Participant Security (@NHLPlayerSafety) Could 31, 2019Whereas the play would solely draw a minor penalty initially, the Division of Participant Security in the end determined to take an additional have a look at the hit. With Grzlecyk struggling a concussion on the play and being listed as day-to-day in consequence, Sundqvist’s suspension was actually merited, even when the intent wasn’t malicious.
In 74 video games this season, Sundqvist would rating 14 objectives and 31 factors. The Boden, Sweden-native has additionally recorded 4 objectives and 9 factors in 21 postseason video games and has been a fixture within the Blues’ bottom-six all season lengthy.
Under is the NHL’s video detailing the suspension adopted by a full transcript.
Transcript of Participant Security Video
Wednesday evening in Boston, St. Louis ahead Oskar Sundqvist was penalized for boarding Bruins’ defenseman Matt Grzelcyk. Because the video reveals, the puck is dumped into the Bruins’ defensive zone and Grzelcyk goes again to retrieve it with Sundqvist pursuing on the forecheck. Grzelcky arrives on the puck and instantly makes an attempt to wrap it across the internet. As he does, Sundqvist adjusts his course then hits him forcefully from behind with pace, driving him violently into the glass and inflicting an harm. That is boarding. You will need to word that the boarding rule locations the onus to ship a authorized verify on the hitter. Subsequently, whereas we acknowledge that Grzelcyk does modify his physique place in making a play on the puck, he doesn’t accomplish that in a manner that absolves Sundqvist of accountability for the character of this hit. From the second Sundqvist hits the underside of the faceoff circle till contact is made, Sundqvist sees nothing however Grzelcyk’s numbers. This isn’t a state of affairs wherein a sudden and sudden motion by the participant receiving the verify turns a authorized hit into an unlawful one on the final second. When Grzelcyk begins to make a play on the puck, Sundqvist is lined up with the again of the suitable facet of Grzelcyk’s physique. Sundqvist has time to react to Grzlecyk’s actions and reacts by reducing again throughout Grzelcyk’s physique. This motion ends in a extra forceful and direct hit to Grzelcyk’s higher again and head which then drives Grzelcyk’s head into the glass. In different phrases, having seen Grzelcky’s numbers for a while then seeing Grzelcly put himself in a clumsy place whereas enjoying the puck, Sundqvist chooses to complete his verify into his opponent’s again with drive. Sunqvist had adequate time to reduce the drive of this hit, keep away from the hit totally or modify his course to ship a authorized verify. As a substitute, with the onus on him to keep away from delivering an unlawful and harmful hit, Sundqvist adjusts his route and delivers the verify immediately by means of Grzlecyk’s again with substantial drive, driving Grzelcyk dangerously into the glass and inflicting an harm. To summarize, that is boarding. Grzelcyk suffered an harm on the play. Sundqvist has been neither fined nor suspended beforehand in his 144 sport NHL profession. The Division of Participant Security has suspended Oskar Sundqvist for one playoff sport.
