Flyers forward Zac Rinaldo was suspended eight games by the NHL’s department of player safety for this hit on Penguins defenseman Kris Letang on last Tuesday night.
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The hit, which the league characterized as charging and boarding, took place at 15:36 of the first period. Letang left the game and did not return. He also missed the Penguins’ next game, which was last Wednesday night against Chicago.
On-ice officials gave Rinaldo a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. Rinaldo was unapologetic about the hit after the game.
“I changed the whole game,” he said to NJ.com. “Who knows what it would have been like if I didn’t do what I did.”
The Flyers won the game 3-2 in overtime. Immediately after the game, the league announced that Rinaldo would face a hearing for supplemental discipline
The hearing was delayed until Monday because the league offices were closed for all-star weekend, which gave the NHL time to ascertain the nature of Letang’s injury. This is Rinaldo’s third suspension and he will forfeit $73,170.72 in salary.
Letang, meanwhile, passed the league’s concussion protocol and returned to practice with the Penguins on Monday.
“It went really well; no problems,” Letang said of his first skate with his teammates in nearly a week.
Letang also said that it was important to have a practice with no problems before he would be allowed to play. The Penguins play on Tuesday at home against Winnipeg and on Wednesday in Washington. It looks like he will probably suit up in at least one of those games, but he still has some progress to make in his recovery before he can get the go ahead to suit up.
“Letang hasn’t been cleared,” Penguins head coach Mike Johnston explained. “He was cleared to practice today, but with limited contact. With concussions and concussion-like symptoms, you have to go through the protocol, and so he is moving along in the process, and we’ll see what our doctors say for (Tuesday).”
Photo credit: USA Today
