NHL Player Safety Releases Video Explaining the Reasoning Behind Ryan Reaves' 5-Game Suspension
The NHL released an explanation for fans into the reason why they suspended the Maple Leafs' Ryan Reaves for his illegal check, giving insight into their decision.
On Sunday afternoon, the NHL had a hearing with Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves regarding his illegal check to the head of the Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. It was a brutal-looking hit that led to Nurse leaving the game with an upper-body injury.
Reaves received a match penalty for his actions, and tried to smooth things over afterward, going to the Oilers locker room to apologize to Nurse who was thankfully not seriously injured.
It's a classy move no doubt, but it was still a hit that the league decided to punish, and they did so by handing Reaves a five-game suspension.
The NHL's Explanation For Reaves' Suspension
So the NHL decided to release a video into their reasoning why Reaves was suspended, giving fans a bit of information and revealing how the Player Safety Department comes to these conclusions:
Reaves could have adjusted himself or perhaps clinched up with Nurse and got tangled up there as opposed to the hit to the head.
They continued:
While we understand Nurse is in the process of playing the puck, he does not materially change the position of his head or body just prior to contact in a way that contributes to the head being the main point of contact."
Basically, the league states that Nurse did not purposefully shift his body or head in a position to catch Reaves off guard and bait him into making a dirty hit. His head was up, he was playing the puck and Reaves took a direct line across into Nurse.
The NHL is saying that Reaves' intent to lay a body check was not the issue, this is hockey after all. They took umbrage with the fact that Reaves took the wrong angle and position to deliver it and that's where the suspension lies. There's a proper way to deliver a bone-crushing hit, but Reaves chose wrong this time.
For Darnell Nurse, all we as fans can hope for is that he avoided serious injury and there are no long-term effects stemming from this hit. For Ryan Reaves, it's a lesson learned about how to properly throw a hit, and maybe he should watch the video to learn more. Either way, justice was served for Darnell Nurse and Reaves has to pay the price.
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Does the NHL need to do a better job at policing these types of illegal checks? | ||
