(UPDATE: The NHL DoPS has handed Lucic a $10,000 fine.)
Milan Lucic of the Edmonton Oilers will have a phone hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety after he went after Mathieu Joseph of the Tampa Bay Lightning during Tuesday’s 5-2 loss.
Midway through the third period, the Lightning rookie cross-checked Oilers defenseman Kris Russell and Lucic did not like that. Lucic tried to engage Joseph with a stick whack but didn’t get a response. He then proceeded to stalk Joseph back into the Tampa zone before he was able to land a check on him. For good measure, Lucic then sat on Joseph to further “send a message.”
“I thought it was a premeditated, blind-side hit,” said Lightning captain Steven Stamkos.
Joseph wasn’t injured and Lucic was given interference and roughing minors along with a game misconduct.
Oilers head coach didn’t think anything of Lucic’s action. He felt his player retaliating for Joseph’s cross-check was warranted.
“You know, there’s nothing wrong with that,” he said. “We felt that a player took a liberty with Kris Russell. I agree with the liberty part of it and part of the reason we have Lucic here is to take care of teammates and he did that.”
The DoPS thinks otherwise, and Lucic will likely take a seat for at least one of the Oilers’ upcoming games.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.