In the middle of a scrap between Wild forward Nick Johnson and Calgary captain Jarome Iginla, Johnson was called for a 5-minute major for headbutting and received a 10-minute game-misconduct for “intent to injure.” There’s no question that headbutting has no place in the NHL or anywhere else in hockey. Just ask Patrick Kaleta.
What about a play where it’s not as clear? It’s clear that Iginla thinks that Johnson delivered an intentional headbutt, but others weren’t as sure when they saw the replay. What do you think? Do you think Johnson knew what he was doing and deliberately led with the top of his head, or do you think it was just an accident between two players in the midst of a fight?
Something to keep in mind: if true, Johnson was delivering a headbutt without a helmet to a guy who was still wearing his helmet and visor. Let us know in the comments if you think Johnson deserved 20 minutes worth of penalties. Without further adieu, here’s the video of the fight and alleged event: