On Sunday, we learned that Toronto’s Nazem Kadri would have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Luke Glendening in the side of the head in a fit of baby anger befitting a player with a history of hotheadedness.
Today, we learned the results of that hearing: Kadri has been suspended for the remainder of the Maple Leafs‘ season, four games.. Watch the video explanation below:
This is the third time Nazem Kadri has been suspended for attacking a player’s head.
In March 2015, Kadri was suspended four games for hitting Edmonton’s Matt Fraser in the head
In November 2014, Kadri served three games for hitting the head of Wild goaltender Niklas Backstrom
Based on the fact Kadri can’t go 18 months without trying to blast a guy’s skull into oblivion, he has been considered a repeat offender each of the last two times. As a reminder, the “repeat offender” label literally only has meaning to how much salary is lost. Instead of losing one day’s pay for each day in the NHL season, Kadri will instead lose the salary divided by game (1/82). This more than doubles the financial punishment.
Earlier this season, Kadri was also fined for making a throat-slashing gesture at Calgary’s Mark Giordano, upset about a big clean hit he took earlier. Kadri has also been fined twice for diving this year.
From a Detroit fan’s perspective, it’s unfortunate that Kadri’s punishment for trying to hurt a Red Wings‘ player is that one of Toronto’s best players is going to miss a game against Philadelphia this week during a time that the Wings need the Flyers to lose, but Kadri has to sit until he learns that taking a running start to a cross-check is a shortcut to a short career.
Kadri isn’t the only dirty rat who hits people in the head when he doesn’t get his way (heck, we’ve got a Norris-winner like that), but wherever the league finds one, they need to come down hard on them for it. I personally think that the Duncan Keith suspension was too short and I honestly don’t see much difference between that premeditated stick-swing and Kadri’s premeditated cross-check. I think he should have received an in-person hearing and a longer suspension.
