NHL playoffs 2018: Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri ejected after hit on Tommy Wingels, gets hearing with Player Safety

Rudi Schuller

NHL playoffs 2018: Maple Leafs' Nazem Kadri ejected after hit on Tommy Wingels, gets hearing with Player Safety image

Nazem Kadri earned himself a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety after getting ejected from Game 1 of the Toronto Maple Leafs' first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins.

The forward was issued a five-minute charging major and a game misconduct in the third period on Thursday after he delivered a hit on Tommy Wingels.

Kadri appeared to be retaliating after teammate Mitch Marner was sandwiched along the boards by Wingels and towering Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara seconds earlier.

Wingels had his head down while trying to corral the loose puck when Kadri delivered the hit.

Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy felt the officials got the call right, saying after the game, "I thought it was the appropriate call. I thought it was a five-minute major. Where it goes from there? It’s out of my hands.”

The league's Department of Player Safety tweeted early Friday that it would be having a hearing with Kadri, presumably to determine whether further punishment would be issued to the 27-year-old.

While Kadri's hit may have future ramifications for the Leafs' forward, his team paid an immediate price on the ensuing power play when David Krejci scored the final goal of a commanding 5-1 Boston win.

The first two days of the Stanley Cup playoffs have seen multiple instances of dangerous play, with Kings defenseman Drew Doughty suspended one game for an illegal hit and Blue Jackets' winger Josh Anderson ejected after running Capitals' defenseman Michal Kempny into the boards.

Rudi Schuller