Following a disciplinary hearing, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Wednesday announced that Winnipeg Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon has been suspended for three games for illegally checking Pittsburgh Penguins winger Noel Acciari in the head.
Four minutes into the second quarter of Tuesday night’s game between the two teams in Pittsburgh, Dillon struck Acciari in the head with his left shoulder. Acciari exited the game due to an injury and did not come back, while Dillon received a match penalty and was sent off.
Following his team’s 3-0 victory, coach Mike Sullivan stated of Acciari, “He’s doing OK but being evaluated right now.” “Our top priority is Noel’s well-being.”
Dillon will miss future games against Pittsburgh and San Jose at home as well as games in Philadelphia, forfeiting $60,938 in pay. After receiving one game ban for slashing in 2017 while playing for the Sharks, this is his second career suspension.
In a video elucidating the duration of the suspension, the league stated that head contact was preventable. The 5-foot-10 Acciari was bent forward, but the league found that he did not shift his head position in the seconds before Dillon, who is 6-foot-4, smacked him.
According to the league, “Dillon picks an angle of approach that cuts across the front of Acciari’s body, missing his core and picking his head.” “Instead of making the head the primary point of contact, Dillon needs to choose an angle that goes through Acciari’s shoulder and core in order to deliver this hit.”
