Dustin Byfuglien will not face any supplemental discipline from the league for his hit on Montreal Canadiens forward Brendan Gallagher Sunday, the department of player safety announced.
Byfuglien, the subject of multiple warnings, had a phone hearing with the NHL Tuesday morning, and the DoPS “largely accepted his explanation of the incident.”
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The Winnipeg Jets defenceman was handed a two-minute minor penalty for elbowing on the play, which came at 18:36 of the first period, and a scrum ensued.
Montreal won the game 5-1.
Here is the explanation from the department of player safety, which notes the size differential of the two players and points out that Byfuglien’s elbow is tucked, his skates never leave the ice, and Gallagher’s head is not the main point of contact:
“I was pretty angry,” Gallagher told reporters Tuesday, regarding his charge towards Byfuglien after the hit. “There was a delayed penalty on the play, so once I saw he was going to get it, I started to let up, and then obviously took a shot.”
Had he been suspended, Byfuglien would be considered a repeat offender. He served a four-game suspension in April for cross-checking New York Rangers forward J.T. Miller in the back of the head.
