Canadiens forward to have hearing for dangerous headshot

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Matt Garland
April 17, 2022 (2:00 PM)

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Montreal Canadiens' forward Michael Pezzetta will have a hearing with Department of Player Safety for a hit to the head of Washington Capitals forward TJ Oshie.

The play happened during the third period of the game. Pezzetta starts the play by beating out a potential icing call with a hard forecheck that ends up taking Martin Fehervary into the boards. He bounces off of Fehervary and heads for the puck that is now up the sideboards in the Capitals' defensive zone. There, TJ Oshie picks up the puck, spins, and sends it up the ice towards John Carlson. Pezzetta finishes his check high on Oshie, connecting with his jaw which ultimately stops play due to a rightfully called illegal check to the head penalty.

Pezzeta only had to sit for 51 seconds for his minor penalty as TJ Oshie made him pay by scoring the power-play goal via a deflection off his skate.

Pezzetta has a history of delivering illegal headshots during his career. In 2016 he was suspended four games while playing for the Sudbury Wolves in the OHL for a high hit on Jeremey Goodwin. In 2019 he sat for one game in the AHL for a similar play involving a member of the Syracuse Crunch.

Pezzetta, 24, is in his first season in the NHL. He provides the Canadiens with a huge amount of energy and physicality racking up 143 hits in just 47 games. He has scored 5 goals and 8 points as he carves out a spot on the fourth line at the highest level.