Vancouver Canucks forward Byron Bitz has been suspended two games by the NHL Thursday for boarding Los Angeles Kings forward Kyle Clifford during Game 1 of the Western Conference quarter-final.
Bitz laid the hit on Clifford 12:12 into the second period by putting his shoulder into the LA forward driving his head into the glass.
“Bitz sees Clifford’s back and numbers throughout his approach to this check and has ample time to make a different play” said NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan in a video describing the incident.
Bitz was assessed a five-minute game misconduct on the play while Clifford didn’t return to the game.
Shanahan did say he factored in Bitz’s clean record in the past.
Unfortunately though the only thing this suspension highlights is its lack of consistency and double-standard when dealing with star players and grinders.
This stems from the fact that Nashville’s Shea Weber only got a $2,500 fine and no suspension for punching Detroit’s Henrik Zetterberg and driving his head into the boards at the end of the game. Bitz on the other hand was given a five-minute game misconduct (Weber got a two-minute roughing penalty… at the end of the game) and a two game suspension for what was a hockey play.
Am I missing something here?