The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has decided to suspend Canucks winger Jannik Hansen for one game following his elbow to the head of Marian Hossa. Hansen received a two-minute roughing penalty, while Hossa was injured on the play and had to miss the rest of the game. Here is Brendan Shanahan’s explanation:
To me, it looks like Hansen isn’t even going for the puck, but rather the back of Hossa’s head –at least when they slow the tape down. Shanahan seems to agree with this assessment, so I can’t help but wonder why Hansen only got one game if they saw intent behind it. If you recall, Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith was suspended for five games following an elbow to the head of Daniel Sedin at the end of last season. Shanahan never indicated that the DOPS saw any malice behind Keith’s elbow, yet he clearly states that they found Hansen’s elbow to be intentional. There seems to be a lack of consistency with the Shanabans.
About Katey Berman