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The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Edmonton Oilers forward Evander Kane has been suspended one game for his hit on Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri early in the first period on Saturday night.
The hit happened as Kadri and Kane skated towards the end boards to battle for a loose puck. Kane gave Kadri a shove several feet before the boards, causing Kadri to lose his balance and hit the boards awkwardly. Kadri would stay down on the ice for several minutes before being helped off. The Avalanche forward did not return and, according to head coach Jared Bednar, has been ruled out for the remainder of the series.
In rationalizing the suspension, the Department of Player Safety said the following:
“It is important to note that this is not a scenario in which Kadri puts himself in a vulnerable position immediately prior to the hit in a way that turns a legal check into an illegal one. While we acknowledge that Kadri positions himself in front of Kane in order to shield the puck, this action is not a sudden or sharp movement that changes the nature of Kane’s hit in a way that he cannot control. And while we acknowledge Kane’s argument that Kadri loses his footing as he approaches the boards, we believe that this is a direct result of the shove and is not an unavoidable occurrence that causes an unfortunate accident. This shove is deliberate at a dangerous distance from the boards while the two players are traveling at speed and causes an injury.”
Kane has been suspended several times in the past, including two separate three-game suspensions, once for elbowing and once for abuse of on-ice officials. Losing Kane, even for just one game, is a difficult blow for Edmonton, as the winger had one of the best seasons of his career to date in 2021-22. Kane had 22 goals and 16 assists in 43 games followed up by 17 points, including a playoff-leading 13 goals, in 15 postseason games for Edmonton.
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