Zac Rinaldo suspended five games by DoPS for head-shot (Video)
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety handed out a five-game suspension to repeat offender Zac Rinaldo for an illegal check to the head on Cedric Paquette.
The play in question happened on Sunday between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning. Rinaldo, a Bruins forward, forechecked Paquette and made contact with Paquette’s head on an attempted bodycheck. RInaldo received a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head on the play.
Said the Department of Player Safety in the above video: “While we accept Rinaldo’s argument that he is attempting to deliver a legal, full-body check on this play, Rinaldo mistimes the hit, leading to him taking an angle of approach that makes Paquette’s head the main point of contact.”
Added DoPS, “If Rinaldo wishes to deliver this hit, he must do so in a legal manner, by staying low and driving through his opponent’s core.”
Though Paquette suffered no apparent injury on the play, Rinaldo has a long supplemental discipline rap sheet, including an eight-game suspension for a Kris Letang head-shot last season. Rinaldo had yet to face supplemental discipline this season.
Rinaldo, who averages just 8:18 of ice-time per-game and was placed on waivers Sunday, will forfeit $51,829.25 of his NHL salary as part of the suspension. Rinaldo was sent to the team’s AHL affiliate in Providence on Monday. According to the AHL, any player under suspension in another league is ineligible to play in the AHL until the matter is reviewed by the league president.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
