Washington Capitals defenceman John Erskine will have a hearing with the National Hockey League on Saturday to discuss potential supplementary discipline for his elbow on Philadelphia Flyers forward Wayne Simmonds Friday.
Late in the first period of Washington’s 3-2 win over the Flyers, Erskine caught Simmonds in the face with an elbow. No penalty was called, but Simmonds left the ice with a bloody nose and didn’t return to the game.
“It looked dirty when I first saw it. A tough hit,” Flyers coach Peter Laviolette said after the game.
The Capitals didn’t make Erskine available to the media after the game.
Before the ensuing faceoff, Philadelphia’s Zac Rinaldo fought Matt Hendricks and both players were ejected from the game.
“Obviously, he’s got a head injury and probably a little bit of whiplash going on right now,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said of Simmonds. “He seemed OK after the game. We’re just going to have to wait and see how he is (Saturday).”
Simmonds is not excepted to play for the Flyers when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. He will be re-evaluated on Sunday.
Despite Erskine’s tendancy to get a lot of penalty minutes, the 32-year-old Kingston, Ont., native has never been suspended in his NHL career.
With files from Associated Press
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