After spending 12 years in the NHL and never having a run-in with the Department of NHL Player Safety, the Boston Bruins' David Backes could be in danger of a second phone call in a matter of weeks.
Two weeks after being suspended for a late hit on Frans Nielsen of the Detroit Red Wings, Backes was ejected from the Bruins game on Thursday for a hit on the Florida Panthers Vincent Trocheck.
With the puck in Trocheck's skates, Backes skating toward him and back toward the Bruins zone. As Trocheck bent over to try to corral the puck, Backes came in and made contact with Trocheck, who didn't see Backes coming, and took the brunt of the hit up high. How high, and what the initial point of contact was is difficult to see; Trocheck's head snaps back, but Backes asserted after the game that he got Trocheck in the chest.
Backes was given a match penalty for checking from behind, while also five minutes for fighting after Panthers defenseman Michael Matheson immediately challenged him.
Mike Matheson takes exception to David Backes' head shot on Vincent Trocheck Clean or Marchand? #DillyDilly #FlaPanthers #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/KGVExHxPB8
— The Hockey Epic (@thehockeyepic) March 16, 2018
After the game, Backes said he didn't think the collision was worthy of a suspension, and seemed to express frustration in how the game is being officiated.
"I'm tracking back through the middle, expecting the puck to be dumped in, and to go help, maybe be the first man back on it, and all of a sudden he cuts to the middle," Backes said. "All of a sudden he cuts to the middle, and I'm going to cut the puck, and he kind of just turns right into me.
"I feel like my shoulder is down, I hit him right through the shoulder and he's much smaller than I am. Probably the good thing is he finishes the game, he's back out there next shift and not injured on the play. I guess they saw enough to give me a match penalty for it, and we'll see what happens from here."
"The physical part of the game I think still needs to be there. I don't know, hopefully nothing further and we continue to play on Saturday against another good team and get two points."
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 16, 2018
🎥David Backes reacts after he received a match penalty in the Bruins 3-0 loss on Thursday: pic.twitter.com/I94I36jztA
Backes didn't want to speculate on whether he would receive supplemental discipline.
"I've had obviously two periods to think about it, and it's the kind of hit I've been doing for years," Backes said. "If this is the new NHL, the new standard, then I hope I can have my own league back. If not, maybe there are some adjustments I need to make.
"I tell you, if I try to get in a toe-drag contest with guys like Trocheck, I'm going to lose. The physical part of the game I think still needs to be there."
Boughner said Trocheck is fine after the hit: “It could have been a lot more dangerous than it was.”
— Matthew DeFranks (@MDeFranks) March 16, 2018
That Trocheck did escape injury and finish the game could play a big role in the league determining whether or not to further punish Backes on top of the match penalty he received.