NHL Will Meet With Eric Gryba Regarding Lars Eller Hit on Friday
By Josh Hill
The Ottawa Senators pulled out a two-goal victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 1 of the two teams Quarterfinal showdown in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but already the series is getting physical and a suspension may be coming. With just under six-and-a-half minutes left in the second periods, Sens defenseman Eric Gryba delivered a bone crunching hit on Habs forward Lars Eller, a hot that caused Eller to be take off the ice on a stretcher.
As a result, the NHL will be reviewing the hit and will also be meeting with Gryba on Friday before the Sens and Habs drop the puck on Game 2 of their series against each other. According to NHL.com, the league is reviewing a number of violations against Gryba that could result in a suspension for the Ottawa defenseman.
"The following grounds for potential supplemental discipline are being considered: Illegal check to the head. However, the Department of Player Safety retains the right to make adjustments to these infractions accordingly upon further review."
Last season, the NHL drew sharp criticism on both ends for being complacent and overbearing at the same time when it came to disciplining players who went overboard with aggression on the ice. From brawls in the Penguins-Flyers series to a 25 game suspension for Raffi Torres after his blind side body-slam on Marian Hossa, the NHL was all over the place when it came to suspending players and a fine line wasn’t ever really laid down.
So far we haven’t had any major issues arise in the first few days of the playoffs, but Gryba’s hit on Eller harkened back to the discussions we had last season at this time about the aggression going on during games.
The hit looked bad, and it looked like it deserves a suspension, but that’s the line in the sand for fans who either claim hits are worse than they look or hits are just part of the game and come with the territory, even if they appear malicious.
Gryba was issued a five minute major and a game misconduct for the hit, but the NHL will ultimately decide if he suits up or not on Friday night. Beyond action off the ice, the NHL has to also worry about retaliation on it, which is something that may factor into the decision as retaliation could cause the series to get out of control.