NHL Department of Player Safety announces the first suspension of the year
We are less than a week into the preseason and George Parros has already been called upon to deliver his first suspension of the year. The hit in question occured during the 2nd period of last night's game between the Seattle Kraken and Edmonton Oilers.
As Edmonton Oilers forward James Hamblin chips in the puck, he's hit from his blindside by Jacob Melanson. Melanson was given 5 and a game for the illegal check to the head.
The NHL Department of Player Safety offered the following explanation:
Monday night in Seattle Kraken forward, Jacob Melanson was assessed a match penalty for an illegal, check to the head of Oiler's forward James Hamblin as the video shows. Hamblin picks up the puck and skates it into neutral ice with more awesome beginning to back check through center seeing an opponent Hamblin chips the puck off the wall around him.
After the puck is gone Melanson. Initiates a high hit making the head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head. It is important to note that both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied on this hit.
First, the head is the main point of contact, as Melanson's shoulder makes contact with the head of Hamblin and it is the head that absorbs, the majority of the force of this hit. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. Melanson chooses an angle of approach that cuts across the front of Hamblin's body missing his core and picking the head.
If Melanson wants to deliver this hit, he must stay low and choose an angle that leads to a full body check through the shoulder or chest rather than one that makes the head the main point of contact.
To summarize, this is an illegal check to the head. Melanson has been either fined nor suspended previously. The Department of Player Safety has suspended, Jacob Melanson for two games effective immediately and to be served in the next two consecutive games in which he is eligible to participate for his club.
After the puck is gone Melanson. Initiates a high hit making the head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head. It is important to note that both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied on this hit.
First, the head is the main point of contact, as Melanson's shoulder makes contact with the head of Hamblin and it is the head that absorbs, the majority of the force of this hit. Second, the head contact on this play is avoidable. Melanson chooses an angle of approach that cuts across the front of Hamblin's body missing his core and picking the head.
If Melanson wants to deliver this hit, he must stay low and choose an angle that leads to a full body check through the shoulder or chest rather than one that makes the head the main point of contact.
To summarize, this is an illegal check to the head. Melanson has been either fined nor suspended previously. The Department of Player Safety has suspended, Jacob Melanson for two games effective immediately and to be served in the next two consecutive games in which he is eligible to participate for his club.
| POLL | ||
Did player safety get this call right? | ||
| Yes, it's fair | 26 | 29.9 % |
| No, it's too short | 21 | 24.1 % |
| No, it's too long | 15 | 17.2 % |
| Shouldn't have been suspended at all | 25 | 28.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
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