Dangerous blow to the head of Juraj Slafkovsky: NHL makes announcement
The NHL's disciplinary committee has finally ruled on Noel Acciari's controversial move against Juraj Slafkovsky, and the decision is likely to spark a lot of reaction.
Acciari, the veteran of the Pittsburgh Penguins, delivered a dangerous blow to the young Montreal Canadiens forward's head late in last night's game.
The widely circulated footage clearly shows a sudden and risky contact that immediately sparked a reaction.
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During Sportsnet's post-game show, several analysts did not hesitate to call the move "dirty" and felt that a suspension would be appropriate.
However, according to journalist Eric Engels, the NHL chose not to impose a sanction on Acciari, not even requiring him to explain himself to the disciplinary committee.
Engels himself said he was surprised by this decision, explaining that the NHL will one day have to reconsider its policy on hits to the head, even "technically legal" ones.
This verdict is enough to put everyone in TBK, especially since the Montreal Canadiens often seem to be victims of such hits without seeing penalties being imposed.
The question that arises: how could the NHL better regulate these actions without altering the physical nature of the game?
The decision not to suspend Acciari adds fuel to the fire of the debates around player safety.
This hasn't stopped causing people to talk.
