Tkachuk dinged one game for spear
The NHL suspended Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk for one game without pay for spearing Toronto winger Matt Martin in Wednesday’s game, an incident that left the Maple Leafs shaking their heads and shrugging.
There was a melee by the boards at the Flames bench, with Martin in the middle of it. Tkachuk was on the bench at the time and was caught by cameras jabbing Martin.
The Leafs were off Thursday when the ruling came down, but Martin said after the game, given all that was going on at the time, he was unaware of the incident until he saw it on a replay.
“I didn’t feel it at the time,” said Martin. “I guess if you’re going to do that stuff, you should probably make it count. It’s what it is, child’s play. I don’t get involved with that stuff. I just found out about it (by watching video). I’m fine, if you guys are concerned.”
Tkachuk is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the collective agreement and, based on his average annual salary, will forfeit $11,280.49 U.S. The money goes to the players’ emergency assistance fund.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock had praised Tkachuk’s game earlier Wednesday, impressed by the second-year player’s ability to score while also playing an edgy game. But he wasn’t impressed by Tkachuk after the game.
“That’s junior hockey stuff,” said Babcock. “He’ll learn over time. You’ve got to give Tkachuk credit, he played a good game. He played hard. No reason for that stuff.”
The Leafs will practise Friday to prepare for a game Saturday in Pittsburgh, followed by Sunday at home to Edmonton. It’s part of a series of five games in seven nights, four of them on the road.
“We’re going to do everything we can to win the game in Pittsburgh and then (go from there),” said Babcock. “We’ve got good people that tell us what to do and how to manage it, so we’ll go about it that way.”
DEVILS: New Jersey defenceman Ben Lovejoy says he will donate his brain to research after he dies so it can be studied for signs of traumatic injury. The Concussion Legacy Foundation says Lovejoy is the first active NHL player to make such a pledge. More than 2,500 retired athletes and military veterans have pledged their brains to the foundation. Doctors examine the brains for signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative condition that can cause depression, violent mood swings, forgetfulness and other cognitive problems. Lovejoy says he’s played hockey for most of his life, including 10 seasons in the NHL. He says he wants to give back to the sport by making it safer. He says he’s had relatively little brain trauma in his career but has seen the effects concussions have had on teammates.
CANUCKS: Vancouver forward Bo Horvat will miss up to six weeks with a right foot fracture, the Canucks said Thursday. The team said a more concrete timeline for Horvat’s recovery will be available after he sees a specialist. Horvat was injured in the third period of Vancouver’s 3-0 win over Carolina on Tuesday when he appeared to jam his foot into the boards after being checked. The 22year-old Horvat has 10 goals and 10 assists in 28 games this season.