San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres will face an in-person disciplinary hearing with the National Hockey League Thursday at 12 p.m. ET after a high hit on Los Angeles Kings centre Jarret Stoll in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series Tuesday night.
With one minute remaining in the second period of the Sharks’ 2-0 loss, Torres hit Stoll in the Kings’ zone. Stoll was not skating completely upright after playing the puck with his hands and Torres followed through with a body check that had some people thinking it was a hit to the head.
Torres was given a two-minute minor penalty for charging.
Watch the hit below:
Kings coach Darryl Sutter said after the game he didn’t like the hit, as Stoll appeared shaken up and did not return to the game.
“I didn’t play Jarret in the third period and he wasn’t resting, so that pretty well tells you, doesn’t it?”
Torres, who has been involved in many controversial hits throughout his NHL career that began with the New York Islanders in 2001-02, didn’t feel that there was anything wrong with the hit.
“To be honest with you, I didn’t even think there was going to be a penalty,” Torres said after the game.
“They called it charging, but I don’t think that I launched myself. I took a step and a half and glided into him. Obviously, he was leaning over. I still feel like I got shoulder to his shoulder, and then it looked — because he was leaning over — that I came up a little high … I hope he’s all right.”
Sharks coach Todd McLellan added: “Clean hit, not even a charging penalty in my opinion.”
The 31-year-old has been suspended on three separate occasions for a total of 27 games, including a 25-game ban (which was later reduced to 21 games) following a late hit to Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa in last season’s playoffs while Torres was with the Phoenix Coyotes.
Torres was acquired from the Coyotes by the Sharks at the trade deadline in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft and has been effective for the Sharks in the playoffs — even scoring the overtime winner in Game 2 against the Vancouver Canucks in the first round.
[polldaddy poll=7105278]