NHL Will Not Discipline Ryan Kesler Further For Hit

October 17, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks goalie Frederik Andersen (31) blocks a shot as center Ryan Kesler (17) helps defend Minnesota Wild right wing Nino Niederreiter (22) during the first period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /

Ryan Kesler’s hit on Minnesota Wild forward Mikael Granlund will not be punished further by the NHL

According to NBC’s Pro Hockey Talk, the NHL is not planning on further disciplining Ryan Kesler for his hit on Mikael Granlund Friday night.

More from Anaheim Ducks

The hit was a source of contention mostly because of the lack of necessity behind it; Kesler seemed to charge at Granlund from almost halfway up the ice, despite the game being all but over. The Ducks were winning, as well, making it all the more unnecessary.

Kesler was given a major penalty for charging on the incident, but he wasn’t alone in being persecuted. Following the hit, Granlund’s teammate Zach Parise returned the favor to Kesler, charging at him and earning himself a major penalty for cross-checking, as well.

The game disintegrated into a scrum in the final minutes of the game; unsurprising, considering that the Wild and the Ducks are currently two of the strongest teams in the league. Anaheim took home the win that night, but not before Parise lobbed a couple nasty comments their way about the hit.

The two teams don’t face off again until December 5th, but it should be interesting to see if there isn’t going to be a shift in Kesler’s game this season. The US Olympic team member has never been suspended by the league, although he sports some of the highest numbers of penalty minutes for a player with his ‘squeaky clean’ record.

More from FanSided

Home/Anaheim Ducks