There are some hits you see that you know 100% right away are just not okay. The way Mike Matheson of the Florida Panthers hit and slammed down Elias Pettersson of the Vancouver Canucks was one of those hits.
Matheson checked Pettersson into the boards as Elias sent the puck behind him towards his teammates. Nothing unusual, a normal hockey play. Matheson then “finished” his hit by slamming Pettersson head-first into the ice, as if in the WWE. Not okay.
Pettersson was dazed by the hit and helped off the ice. Additionally, he was later diagnosed with a concussion. He’s slated to miss 7 or more days, going through concussion protocol. The Department of Player Safety announced that Matheson was suspended for two games thereafter, for “interference and unsportsmanlike behavior”. His lack of previous suspensions in his career weighed greatly in his favor, reducing what could have been a harsher penalty.
Some speculate that Matheson was seeking retribution for being made to look a fool when Pettersson deked him to the ice.
Pettersson broke Matheson's ankle with a deke and so like all good hockey men, Mathesson got embarrassed and took it out on Dekey Pete with a rough hit pic.twitter.com/M6jUBXnM3r
— Wyatt Arndt (@TheStanchion) October 14, 2018
Make examples of players like this, so they understand that this behavior is unacceptable.
BONUS CONTENT
ON THIS DAY: In 1946, Gordie Howe made his NHL debut
No one knew that on this mild Autumn day on October 16, 1946, history was being made. It was in the form of Detroit Red Wings rookie forward, Gordie Howe.
Howe made his NHL debut when the Red Wings hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs at Olympia Staduim. Though he donned the #17 on his jersey in his rookie year, not yet his legendary #9, Detroit knew they had something special in Howe right away. Skating on a line with Sid Abel and Adam Brown, Howe scored his first career goal that very same night. He’d do that 800 more times throughout his career with Detroit.
To view the rest of this content, follow the link below!
https://detroitsportsnation.com/detroit-red-wings-news/nwebb/day-1946-gordie-howe-made-nhl-debut/10-2018/197164/
