Canadiens Defenseman Douglas Murray to Face Disciplinary Hearing for Hit to Mike Kostka

Earlier today, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced the Montreal Canadiens defenseman Douglas Murray would face a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mike Kostka.

It was definitely a scary situation in Tampa Bay last night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. At around the 17:47 mark in the third period, Kostka was moving the puck across the blue line into the Lightning’s offensive zone when he is just railed by Murray. You may not have seen it at first, as everything went down pretty quickly; however, Murray absolutely railed Kostka in the head with his elbow, sending Kostka flying to the ground.

Kostka lay motionless on the ice for quite some time. You could tell from the manner in which he fell, Kostka was out of it long before he hit the ice. The stretcher was brought out, but after being attended to by the Lightning’s medical staff, Kostka was able to leave the ice under his own power; however, he would indeed be finished for the night.

According to the NHL Department of Player Safety, the grounds being proposed for supplemental discipline is illegal check to the head; however, they reserve the right to make adjustments to the infractions as they see fit upon further review.

The good news for the Lightning is that they were able to overcome, and defeated the Canadiens 3-1 in regulation, thus clinching a spot in the 2014 NHL Playoffs.

What did you think of Murray’s hit on Kostka? Do you believe that a suspension is in order for the defenseman, and if so, how long? Let us know what you think in the comments below.