This just in, news that NHL Player Safety has suspended Las Vegas Golden Knights d-man Alex Pietrangelo for one game for his violent hacking of Edmonton Oiler’s ace Leon Draisaitl.
The commentator added that Pietrangelo has neither been fined nor suspended before in his 952 game NHL career.
A two-game suspension would have represented a massive suspension in a playoff series, said Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Oilers Now.
Hockey Youtuber Steve “Dangle” Glynn @Steve_Dangle
Pietrangelo and Nurse suspensions offset each other. Bad league. ????♂️
Writer Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic ???? @domluszczyszyn
embarrassing, but what else is new!
Oilers fan McLovin97 @DJRoss_72
One??? A vicious slash. Intent to injure is the same punishment ad Nurse skating up to a player that wanted to fight? What a joke
ESPN hockey reporter Kristen Shilton @kristen_shilton
Alex Pietrangelo gets a one-game suspension for a two-handed slash on Leon Draisaitl
It’s something, I guess
Oilers fan and hockey coach Tyson Munro @Tys35
Absolutely pathetic
Oilers fan Paul Almeida @AzorcanGlobal
Total joke of a league.
Basically open season on stars in the playoffs. Chop away… Had he known he would get only one game Pietrangelo could have chopped McDavid on the same play in the corner as well.
Draisaitl’s fine, so one game is appropriate. If he was hurt then it’s more than a one-game suspension. But he isn’t, and that matters (as it should).
Still a dumb play by Pietrangelo tho
Harman Dayal @harmandayal2 Canucks & NHL reporter for TheAthletic NHL
Nurse instigator/one-game suspension should have been rescinded OR Pietrangelo should have gotten more than one game.
What Pietrangelo and Nurse did should not be punished equally
Oilers fan Goodfella @DhillonSteve
Way to grow the game you f*cking clowns.. And Bunting got 3.
Kyle Keefe @kylekeefetv Studio Anchor for the Colorado @Avalanche on AltitudeTV
Pietrangelo gets a 1 game suspension for slashing on the wrist.
Eberle didn’t even get a phone call for breaking Cogliano’s neck.
Let that simmer-
Only in the NHL would a two-handed slash on the best playoff player in the league over the last 2 seasons…merit the same suspension as a dubious instigator penalty given in a scrap between two willing and able combatants.
And NO one is surprised!
Spittin’ Chiclets podcaster Ryan Whitney @ryanwhitney6
This is an absolute joke. I was fine with 1 game if Nurse instigator was rescinded. The fact they have the same suspension is a disgrace
Oiler Alert @OilerAlert
Hacking someone’s wrist by using your stick as a weapon: 1 game suspension
Instigating a fight with a willing opponent : 1 game suspension and a $10K fine.
Senior NHL writer at ESPN Greg Wyshynski @wyshynski
I don’t think the NHL Dept. of Player Safety got this one right.
Alex Pietrangelo deserved at least 2 games for his slash on Leon Draisaitl. When intent is that clear — late in the 3rd, in a losing effort — and the target is the other team’s leading scorer? C’mon.
Eberle breaks Cogliano’s neck on a hit from behind. No suspension.
Nurse instigates a fight with a combatant he’s been talking for four games with. 1 game suspension.
Pietrangelo with a 12-6, over-the-head slash to a superstar’s wrists, away from the play. 1 game suspension.
Hockey commentator Pete Blackburn @PeteBlackburn
I know Nurse’s suspension was by the book but it’s kind of insane he gets the same punishment as Pietrangelo trying to chop a guy’s hands off 30 feet away from the puck
Oilers fan Den Polland @oilersgm2
I’m not sure the @NHL realizes the message they just sent. ANYONE can now take a liberty on a star player and only get one game. The Devils for example could send Lazar with an axe after Aho. Lazar will only get one game…Aho could be done for the series.
This will do nothing to cool down the anger/animosity in this series, and could make it worse even… NHL had a chance to cool it down a bit, and didn’t this series could get ugly
Legendary Edmonton sports writer Terry Jones @byterryjones
Sorry. Pietreangelo one game. Nurse one game plus $10,000 fine for coach. That doesn’t balance on my scales of justice.
My take
1. When the brutal slash first happened I had two thoughts: first, one of relief when it became clear that Draisaitl was OK, that somehow no bone had been broken (the stick must have hit his solid elbow pad); second, that it’s little wonder Pietranglo had gone after some Oilers player, given the way the Oilers had tormented the Vegas d-men with at least five thundering body checks, one by Nick Bjugstad, one by Warren Foegele and three by Evander Kane, including one where Kane used his stick to propel Pietrangelo into the boards. I could understand the Vegas d-man’s anger.
3. After reading commentary from around the league, including many writers outside of Edmonton, including in Las Vegas, expecting a much longer suspension for Pietrangelo, I started Pietrangelo hope he might get two games.
5. What would have been a fair suspension for Pietrangelo? Given its the playoffs, where every game is far more precious, I think two games would have sufficed, but three games would have sent a strong message that the NHL does not tolerate intent to injury infractions.
6. If I’m completely honest, I think the Oilers have had as many favourable calls against Vegas as the other way around this series. I’ve seen iffy calls on both teams and I’ve seen both teams get away with things that should have been penalized. The Pietrangelo hit was penalized properly on-ice, but the NHL’s decision leaves me cold. Their number one job is to keep the players safe with the deterrence of a lengthy suspension for violent and illegal plays. They failed the players in that duty today.
