Ryan Reaves ejected following disgusting head hunt on Darnell Nurse
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves got ejected against the Edmonton Oilers tonight after hitting Darnell Nurse right in the hit.
In the midst of a 1-1 Saturday night game, Reaves did something you just can't do. Headhunt.
While Reaves has received criticism for not fighting enough this season, there is no doubt that he has remained a physical force in the National Hockey League. However, there are always limits to what you can do.
When you hit a player in the head with your shoulder or your elbow, the officials are going to have something to say about it. And that is what happened here.
Just looking at the footage below, you can see that there may have been some intent here. No matter what, it is clear that Reaves was just being way too reckless with his body.
Ryan Reaves hit on Darnell Nurse
Now, the league is going to have to take a long and hard look at all of this and figure out what it wants to do.
For years, the NHL has been adamant about getting headhunting and hits to the head in general, out of the sport. With that in mind, it seems almost like a given that Reaves will be hit with a suspension.
Having said that, there are no guarantees when it comes to this kind of thing. The Department of Players Safety tends to be very inconsistent at times.
As for the Leafs, they must now finish out the rest of this game without their enforcer. Whether or not he was going to be a big factor against the Oilers, is another topic entirely.
Either way, we're sure head coach Craig Berube is at least mildly annoyed by Reaves' reckless abandon.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 16 | 241 ANSWERS Ryan Reaves ejected following disgusting head hunt on Darnell Nurse Does Ryan Reaves deserve a suspension? | ||
| YES | 130 | 53.9 % |
| NO | 111 | 46.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
