One of the great traditions of the Stanley Cup playoffs is already underway, the debate over whether a player should be suspended for rough play.
With the seconds ticking down on the Nashville Predators’ 3-2 win over Detroit in tonight’s Game One, Shea Weber got involved with Henrik Zetterberg in the corner. Zetterberg came in from behind with a knee-to-knee shot as Weber tries to corral the puck (Zetterberg’s right knee shoots forward into Weber’s from behind) and Weber then took two shots, the first a punch to the back of the head and then shoving Zetterberg’s head into the glass.
Naturally, anything involving contact to the head invokes concern about concussions, but to me this didn’t rise to the level of a suspendable act – it was a reaction to Zetterberg’s initial contact, and while it looked like a move out of professional wrestling, a shove from one foot away into the glass doesn’t strike me as something that’s going to cause injury.
Here’s video from Sporting News.
What do you think? Should this draw a suspension from the league, or not?
Either way, this will prove to be an interesting test case for Brendan Shanahan as he enters his first post-season as the NHL’s Lord of Supplementary Discipline.
I know emotions will get heated over controversies like this, but please try to keep the discussion civil below.
Should Shea Weber be suspended?
| No | 553 |
| Yes | 945 |