Brad Marchand will not face supplemental discipline for jabbing Scott Harrington
Mar 10, 2019; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) at the face-off circle against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the first period at PPG PAINTS Arena. Pittsburgh won 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
Bruins winger Brad Marchand will escape his Game 3 incident with the Blue Jackets’ Scott Harrington unscathed — both in playing time and his wallet — as the agitator will not face supplemental discipline, according to multiple reports.
#NHL has reviewed #NHLBruins Brad Marchand incident at final buzzer on Tuesday. Expectation is that no supplemental discipline is coming from the league. #CBJ
— Aaron Portzline (@Aportzline) May 1, 2019
An obviously unnecessary play on the part of Marchand, the fact is that No. 63’s punch to the back of Harrington’s head was not as much devastating as it was annoying. That creates a massive grey area for the NHL’s disciplinarians, as they’ve rarely (if ever) doled out suspensions for childish, rat-like behavior (see: Marchand licking everybody in sight last postseason).
Clearly, in the eyes of the NHL (and much to the dismay of social media disciplinarians), it was never considered a legitimate target to Harrington’s head, and was simply a heat of the battle postseason moment involving the league’s ultimate nuisance.
Something Harrington himself told reporters on Wednesday.
Scott Harrington called the Brad Marchand jab to the back of his head “a hockey play” and said he was totally fine: “I know there wasn’t a suspension or anything. It is what it is and we’re moving on”
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) May 1, 2019
Marchand backed up Harrington’s ‘hockey play’ comment, and pointed out that Jake DeBrusk was in the midst of getting mugged by two Blue Jackets when he rabbit-punched the back of Harrington’s helmet.
The Bruins are not going to let Marchand off the hook entirely, though, as they’re expected to handle the situation ‘internally’ and with Bruce Cassidy says he intends to have a discussion with Brad Marchand about his discipline. He's taken two penalties in this series -- both led to #CBJ PP goals. "We need him on the ice," said Cassidy.
After all, Marchand has already taken two selfish penalties in this series alone, and with each penalty coming back to burn the B’s by way of power-play goals against, including the game-winning goal in Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Nationwide Arena.
