The NHL has doled out a lengthy five-game suspension to Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves for his headshot against Edmonton Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse on Saturday night.
It was announced this morning that Reaves would have a hearing with the league about the hit. Due to it not being an in-person hearing, the NHL had limited itself to a maximum suspension of five games.
After the hearing, it appears the league felt a maximum punishment was the necessary measure to take against the Leafs forward.
“Reaves closes in on Nurse as he rounds the net and delivers a high, hard check that cuts across the front Nurse’s body missing his core and picking his head making it the main point of contact,” An explanation from the NHL said.
“If Reaves wants to deliver this check, he must take an angle of approach that hits through Nurse’s shoulder and core rather than one that picks the head.”
Toronto’s Ryan Reaves has been suspended for five games for an illegal check to the head against Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse. https://t.co/GyVuA2TLmG
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 17, 2024
The 37-year-old Reaves received a five-minute match penalty on the play and Nurse was knocked out of the game with what the Oilers described as an upper-body injury. The play itself was an ugly one as Reaves’ shoulder made direct contact with Nurse’s head as he made his way around the Oilers net.
Nurse’s visor cut him as a result of the hit and caused a bloody scene on the ice as he looked visibly shaken. The veteran Oilers defenceman was able to leave the ice with some assistance and it was reported that Reaves attempted to apologize to Nurse face-to-face in the Oilers locker room following the play.
This is the fourth time that Reaves has been suspended by the NHL and is categorized as a repeat offender. This is the longest suspension that the league has handed out to the long-time enforcer. He has also been fined on three separate occasions as well.
The focus will now turn to Nurse’s health following the play. He had struggled to start the year with Edmonton but had been playing some better hockey of late. Nurse managed to score two goals and assist on Connor McDavid’s 1,000th point just a game before he got injured.
No update on his condition has been provided by the Oilers yet. We should know more about the nature of the injury before the team takes on the Montreal Canadiens on Monday night.