Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson, like the rest of the NHLers not participating in the 2014 Winter Olympics, is on vacation. The length of his time off will be determined by an upcoming phone call.
The NHL announced that wants to have a word with him after he slashed forward Frans Nielsen’s wrist during the Avalanche’s 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders on Saturday. The incident occurred midway through the third period and Johnson was handed a slashing minor for his actions.
The hearing will be conducted today, but given that the Avalanche don’t play until again until Feb. 26, the NHL obviously has plenty of time to deliberate if they wanted to.
After enduring a few disappointing seasons, Johnson has bounced back in 2013-14 with seven goals, 24 points, and a plus-five rating in 58 contests. He’s also already set a new career-high with 97 blocked shots and is likely to surpass his previous personal best of 123 hits.