The NHL has suspended Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin three games for his hit on Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek in Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss.
It is the third time in his career Ovechkin has been suspended. He will miss Tuesday’s game against the Boston Bruins, a Jan 31 game at Tampa Bay – the first one after the NHL’s All-Star break – and a Feb. 1 game against Florida. He is eligible to return Feb. 4 against Montreal. Neither general manager George McPhee nor Ovechkin was available to comment. Under the terms of the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, based on his average annual salary Ovechkin will forfeit $154,677.75. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. He remains eligible to play in Sunday’s NHL All-Star game in Ottawa.
Ovechkin left his feet and leveled Michalek with a hit in Washington’s offensive zone. He also made contact with Michalek’s head, a violation of Rule 48.1 that is in place to ban hits where the head is the principle point of contact. The incident happened at 4, minutes, 5 seconds of the second period. Ovechkin had a 1:30 p.m. phone hearing with Brendan Shanahan, the NHL’s senior vice president of player safety. In his video ruling issued by the league, Shanahan also referenced Rule 42, which prohibits charging into or jumping into an opposing player.
“Often on big hits or collisions a player’s feet will come off the ice slightly as a result of the impact,” Shanahan said. “This, however, is not one of those occasions. Ovechkin drives up, launching and recklessly making contact with Michalek’s head.”
The key assertion from Shanahan is that – even though the league accepts Ovechkin didn’t intend to make contact with Michalek’s head – the moment Ovechkin leaves the ice all responsibility is his. Even a sudden movement by the opponent into Ovechkin’s path does not change that. Shanahan also said that Ovechkin’s history – two suspensions and two fines for physical fouls – was taken into account. Michalek was apparently not hurt on the play.
“It was a hit,” Ovechkin told reporters prior to his hearing on Monday. “I don’t want to comment my hit and I don’t want to comment on something after the call. So after calling the league, I’ll talk about it and see what happens.”
Caps coach Dale Hunter also refused to comment on the hit prior to Monday’s hearing. Michalek and the Penguins, including coach Dan Bylsma, were clearly not happy with the play, however. There is some history there, remember. Ovechkin’s knee-to-knee hit on then-Penguins defenseman Sergei Gonchar during the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs enraged Pittsburgh. Gonchar missed two games in a series the Penguins eventually won in seven games.
“I was a little surprised,” Michalek said on Sunday. “To me, when the play happened, [Ovechkin] just went for my head. I’ve been told that he left his feet. Hit my head. To me, it’s a definitely a penalty. They didn’t call it. It should have been called for sure.”
Ovechkin had previously been suspended for a Nov. 30, 2009 knee-to-knee collision with Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tim Gleason and a major boarding penalty March 14, 2010 against Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Brian Campbell. The Gleason hit came just five days after another major boarding penalty by Ovechkin on Buffalo forward Patrick Kaleta. That one happened at 3:38 of the third period in a 2-0 win at Verizon Center on Nov. 25, 2009. He was also fined $2,500 for an Oct. 22, 2009 slew-foot on then Atlanta Thrashers forward Rich Peverley.
“I don’t think so. I don’t know,” teammate Matt Hendricks said when asked about Ovechkin’s hit and whether he thought there would be a suspension. “Just playing physical, sometimes it’s a momentum thing. It’s hard to hold up in those areas.”
Hendricks, ironically, was elbowed by Michalek later in the second period. That drew an elbowing penalty. But Michalek was not suspended or fined by the NHL despite a Monday morning hearing.
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