Engvall to have hearing, suspension likely
The opportunity for George Parros to stick it to the Leafs once again is ripe for the picking. The former Montreal Canadien, whose career was ended by Leafs tough guy Colton Orr, apparently hasn't gotten over it yet. Pierre Engvall, much like Jason Spezza and Auston Mathews before him, has no history of supplemental discipline in his NHL career. It would appear as though that is about to change.
Engvall was involved in an altercation with Kings defenseman Sean Durzi during last night's 5-0 victory. It ended when both players shoved each other and Durzi spun around. Engvall's stick came down on the back of Durzi's helmet/neck area. Durzi immediately threw himself on the ice and began rolling around as if he had been set on fire. Engvall was assessed a match penalty and a 5-minute major. Durzi didn't miss a shift, which drew the ire of the fans at Scotiabank Arena, who boo-ed him relentlessly in front of 200 of his family and friends.
The NHL's Department of Player Safety announced today that Engvall will have a hearing for the incident. This implies that he most likely will face a suspension for "intent to injure."
I believe Sheldon Keefe's post game comments put it best.
It's also worth noting again that a similar play resulted in nothing more than a $5,000 fine for Kirill Kaprizov earlier this season. Although the DoPS has proven time and time again that precedent only applies when they feel like it, in this case, I get the feeling that there will be a new precedent set, since it was a Leaf who was involved.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 9 | 258 ANSWERS Engvall to have hearing, suspension likely How many games will Engvall get for his whack to the head/neck of Durzi? | ||
| No suspension | 77 | 29.8 % |
| 1-2 games | 140 | 54.3 % |
| 3-4 games | 23 | 8.9 % |
| 5 games or more | 18 | 7 % |
| List of polls | ||
