NHL suspends Zach Hyman two games for hit on Bruins’ McAvoy
Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman has been suspended two games for his ‘interference’ penalty against Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy on Saturday night, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Sunday night.
https://twitter.com/mkmolnar/status/1071594265199960065
In their explanation video released on Sunday, the NHL noted that Hyman hit McAvoy “well after” the puck was gone, and remarked that the suspension was for “the force of the hit and the predatory nature of the hit itself.”
Handed a five-minute interference major and thrown out of the game for the incident, the Bruins responded by way of Matt Grzelcyk chasing down Hyman and dropping the gloves with the Toronto forward despite a four-inch, 35-pound mismatch.
“I thought it was late. I thought it was unnecessary,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said of the hit after Saturday’s 6-3 win over Hyman and the Leafs. “It’s one of those things where you’re at a point in the game, hasn’t been a lot of body checking from the other team and all of a sudden there’s a late unsuspecting one, and it annoys you.
“Especially when it’s Charlie [McAvoy] who just came back, so you’re wondering are they targeting him or not? You don’t know that. I’d like to think it was just a guy playing hard and got there late and didn’t pull up, but our guys responded well.”
Hyman will also forfeit $24,194 in salary as part of the two-game suspension.
The Bruins and Maple Leafs meet again on Jan. 12 in Toronto.
