Hit on Penguins player costs star three games 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 after the NHL’s All-Star break — and a Feb. 1 game at Florida. Ovechkin also forfeits $154,677.75 in salary.
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 Monday evening, 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 in the video. “This, however, is not one of those occasions. Ovechkin drives up, launching and recklessly making contact with Michalek’s head.”
Ovechkin told reporters prior to his hearing on Monday, “It was a hit. I don’t want to comment [on] 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 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.
“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 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 hope [Ovechkin’s] not pulling back,” Caps teammate Brooks Laich said before the suspension was handed down. “The rest of the league’s probably thinking, ‘I hope he’s pulling back.’ I don’t think you can ever really take the nature out of a competitor. Alex plays hard, Alex plays physical. Maybe it’ll settle him down for a day or two, but I don’t think you’re ever going to really take that out of him.”
