Lightning’s Gourde faces hearing for illegal hit on Hurricanes’ Staal

Tampa Bay Lightning's Yanni Gourde catches Carolina Hurricanes' Jordan Staal in the head with a questionable check. The Hurricanes' captain would leave the ice for concussion protocol while Gourde is handed a match penalty.

Yanni Gourde may have earned himself an unpaid pre-playoffs vacation after hitting Jordan Staal with an illegal check to the head Thursday night.

The Tampa Bay Lightning forward clipped the Carolina Hurricanes veteran in the first period of a 6-3 Lightning victory, which resulted in him receiving a match penalty plus a Friday hearing with the NHL’s department of player safety.

As you can see in the video at the top of the page, Staal was leaning forward while fending off Lightning blue-liner Ryan Callahan when Gourde made contact.

Gourde, 27, has never been suspended during his NHL career so he will be considered a first-time offender.

Staal, who has a long history of documented concussions, went to his team’s locker room for assessment before returning to the game and scoring his eighth goal of the season in the losing effort.

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