As the hockey world ponders the potential penalty for Jody Shelly’s hit on Darryl Boyce, Brendan Shanahan and the NHL have taken action for a different check. The league decided to suspend Calgary Flames enforcer Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond for the remainder of the preseason and one regular season game for an illegal boarding check on Vancouver Canucks’ forward Matt Clackson.
(Scroll to the bottom of this post for video of the hit and Shanahan’s explanation.)
Much like Shelley’s check on Boyce, it was a hit from behind. Both players are also repeat offenders, which often factors into the severity of a suspension. Letourneau-Leblond received a minor penalty for boarding during that contest, while Shelley received a major penalty and was ejected from Wednesday night’s game for his infraction. Letourneau-Leblond’s hit came on Tuesday, which might explain why that decision was announced before Shelley’s situation has been clarified.
Letourneau-Leblond will lose $6,420.44 for missing that game and will be eligible to return against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 10. The suspension covers four preseason games and the Flames’ season opener against the Penguins in Calgary on Oct. 8.
Here is the text version of Shanahan’s explanation for the suspension.
So what do you think of Shanahan’s first decision in Colin Campbell’s old role?