The NHL announced just hours before Game 2 of the Western Conference semifinal game between the San Jose Sharks and Los Angeles Kings that Sharks forward Raffi Torres will be suspended for the remainder of the series against the rival Kings for an illegal hit during Game 1.
The NHL Department of Player Safety ruled today that the hit on Kings forward Jarret Stoll violated safety protocol when Torres made the main point of contact in his check Stoll's head as opposed to the core of his body, according to a report released on the NHL's website.
The hit occurred at 19:02 in the second period of Game 1 as Stoll was attending to a bouncing puck and moving up ice. During the game, Torres was served a minor penalty for charging.
The light sentence may have been a result of a flubbed call by referees who thought Torres' skates left the ice resulting in a hit to Stoll's shoulder, Sports Illustrated predicted early Thursday before the decision was released.
"Although we'd agree Torres might make initial contact with Stoll's shoulder, that is a glancing blow. In fact, the head is the principle point of contact," the NHL said in its video assessing the hit.
Things began to look grim for Torres soon after Game 1, when he had to be flown to New York for an in-person hearing for his actions as opposed to a phone hearing. A request for an in-person meeting with the board generally means that a player may be suspended for five or more games.
Under the NHL's Collective Bargaining Agreement, Torres is considered a repeat offender having been previously suspended and fined three times prior to this incident, according to CBS News.
Stoll was injured with a possible concussion after the hit and did not return for the third period. Stoll and Torres were former teammates when the two used to play for the Edmonton Oilers.
The Kings and Sharks face off tonight at 10 p.m. EST at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for Game 2.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
