Yesterday, Georges Parros, who is responsible for player safety in the NHL, announced that Michael Bunting of the Toronto Maple Leafs would be suspended for three games due to an illegal hit to the head of Erik Cernak. This decision was made after a thorough review of the incident.
In a similar vein, it is highly likely that the NHL Department of Player Safety will be reviewing a play from last night's game between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers. Tomas Nosek of the Bruins delivered an elbow to the face of Eric Staal, which may result in supplementary discipline. This decision would be based on the standard set by the Bunting suspension.
The incident in question occurred during the third period of the game. The Bruins were trailing 6-2, and Staal was attempting to maintain possession of the puck. Nosek went in to finish the hit, despite the puck being long gone, and hit Staal with his elbow directly to the face. The impact was severe enough to knock Staal out of the game.
