Evander Kane Suspended For One Game Following Nazem Kadri Hit

** Update: Evander Kane has been suspended for one game by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. During the video describing their decision, it was said that Kadri did not put himself in a vulnerable position. They also note that Kane’s argument that Kadri lost his footing before hitting the boards is accurate, but they believe his doing so was a direct result of the shove from behind.

They also note that the injury suffered to Kadri was a factor in the decision.

Edmonton’s Evander Kane has been suspended for one game for Boarding Colorado’s Nazem Kadri. https://t.co/1zUiUo0LZb

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) June 5, 2022

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has announced that Evander Kane of the Edmonton Oilers will have a hearing Sunday for his hit on Nazem Kadri in Game 3 of the Oilers series versus the Colorado Avalanche. Given a five-minute boarding major, Kane was not ejected from the game, but Kadri did not return to action and has been ruled out for the remainder of the Western Conference Finals.

Related: Three Takeaways from Oilers 4-2 Loss to the Avalanche

Edmonton’s Evander Kane will have a hearing today for Boarding Colorado’s Nazem Kadri.

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) June 5, 2022

There are people on both sides debating what the outcome of this hearing should be. Some argue that this hit is the most dangerous in hockey and that Kane, who has a history of suspension with the NHL, should get at least a game suspension. Others are arguing this hit wasn’t much different than the one Brandon Hagel delivered on Florida’s Eetu Luostarinen in May. That boarding call only resulted in a fine.

Some in Edmonton have started to show video of Connor McDavid taking a boarding hit in a game versus Anaheim earlier this season and noting it didn’t receive a fine, suspension, or a penalty during the game.

Kane’s hit was a boarding penalty and it deserved a five-minute major. The question is now, was it egregious enough that he should miss a game in the playoffs? It’s a game the Oilers must win, because if they don’t, they’ll be eliminated from the postseason.

In general, this series has started to get out of hand when it comes to hits and suspendable plays. In that same game, it could be argued that Nathan MacKinnon delivered a slew foot to Leon Draisaitl that could have seriously injured the Oilers’ star. For a while, it appeared to. In Game 2, Gabriel Landeskog delivered a hit to the head of Kailer Yamamoto. Yamamoto has not played in the series since leaving that game with an injury.

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