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.
Nazem Kadri back to the penalty box for this hit on Tommy Wingels. This one is definitely bad, possibly even supplemental bad. pic.twitter.com/tZ3HI1SBNY
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) April 13, 2018
Wingels had his head down while trying to corral the loose puck when Kadri delivered the hit.
Another look at Kadri on Wingels. Kadri got a game misconduct. More I look at this one the more I'm leaning suspension. pic.twitter.com/lQN3daZctI
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) April 13, 2018
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.
Toronto’s Nazem Kadri will have a hearing Friday for boarding/charging Boston’s Tommy Wingels.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 13, 2018
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.