[UPDATE: Scheifele has been suspended for four games.]
Mark Scheifele will have a phone hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Thursday following his Game 1 hit on Jake Evans of the Canadiens.
Since it is a phone hearing the maximum number of games the Jets forward could be suspended is five.
With just under a minute to play in the third period, Evans scored an empty-net goal on a wraparound. As he was putting the puck in the net, Scheifele skated full speed into him, knocking the Montreal forward hard to the ice. After nearly 10 minutes of medical attention, Evans was stretchered off the ice. Scheifele was given a five-minute major for charging and a game misconduct.
Evans suffered a concussion and will be out indefinitely. “He’s certainly going to miss time, we’re not sure how much time,” said Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme.
The Canadiens, as you can imagine, weren’t pleased with the play.
“It was a dirty hit. But the league’s going to take care of it. If he gets back in the series, we’re going to make his life miserable,” said Montreal defenseman Joel Edmundson.
[NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs 2021 Second Round schedule, TV info]
“I think it’s disgusting,” said Jesperi Kotkaniemi. “A little respect for the other players out there. I’m not saying anything more than that.”
Scheifele skates almost the entire length of the ice before making the hit on Evans. But instead of going stick-to-puck to prevent the empty-net goal, he tucks his arms and delivers a huge blow, setting of a scrum behind the Canadiens’ net.
The Jets forward has never been fined or suspended in his NHL career.
“I think it’s pretty obvious they’re going to look at the incident,” said Ducharme,” and we’re confident that the league is going to make the right decision.”
JETS VS. CANADIENS (MTL leads 1-0) - series livestream link
Game 1: Canadiens 5, Jets 3
Game 2: Fri. June 4: Canadiens at Jets, 7:30 p.m. ET (USA Network)
Game 3: Sun. June 6: Jets at Canadiens, 6 p.m. ET (NBCSN)
Game 4: Mon. June 7: Jets at Canadiens, 8 p.m. ET (NHL Network)
*Game 5: Wed. June 9: Canadiens at Jets TBD
*Game 6: Fri. June 11: Jets at Canadiens TBD
*Game 7: Sun. June 13: Canadiens at Jets TBD
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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.