Bruins’ Backes to have hearing for hit on Devils’ Coleman

David Backes comes across the middle and lays his shoulder into Blake Coleman's face. Backes gets two minutes for an illegal check to the head.

Boston Bruins centre David Backes is set to have a hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety on Friday to review a hit he laid on Blake Coleman of the New Jersey Devils.

Backes was assessed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head with two minutes remaining in New Jersey’s 5-2 win Thursday in Boston.

Coleman remained on the ice briefly but was able to stay in the game and scored an empty-netter just 72 seconds after Backes was penalized.

Backes would be considered a repeat offender after the 34-year-old was given a three-game ban this past March for interfering with Frans Nielsen in a game against the Red Wings.

[relatedlinks]

Sportsnet.ca no longer supports comments.