Blackhawks' $46 million forward faces in person hearing after hit to Bo Horvat's head
Photo credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar has a hearing today with NHL Player Safety for an illegal check to the head of Islanders captain Bo Horvat on Thursday night.
Frank Nazar is headed to a hearing today.
The Chicago Blackhawks forward will meet with NHL Player Safety over an illegal check to the head of Islanders captain Bo Horvat.
The incident came late in Thursday night's game at UBS Arena, where the Islanders beat Chicago 4-1.
Horvat had just fired the puck into an empty net for his second goal of the night when Nazar caught him up high with a shoulder.
Nazar received a five-minute match penalty at 18:27 of the third period.
Horvat left the game and was still being evaluated afterward.
A messy finish in New York
Players from both teams rushed in right away.
Anthony Duclair and Wyatt Kaiser each picked up two minutes for roughing, and the final minutes turned into a chaotic mess.
The hit capped a strange night for Nazar.
About a minute earlier, he had scored the Blackhawks' only goal to end Ilya Sorokin's shutout bid.
Head coach Jeff Blashill had praised Nazar's play before the hit, and Nazar reportedly said he thinks the officials got the call right.
For Horvat, it was a big night until that moment.
He scored twice, including a power-play goal for the third game in a row.
What comes next for Nazar
Whether Nazar gets a fine or a suspension will be decided after the hearing.
Chicago is 1-4-0 and has leaned on Nazar as one of its top young forwards, so losing him for any stretch would sting.
That's especially tough after what was arguably their best performance of the season.
The Islanders moved to 2-2-0, and Horvat's status was still unclear after the game.
Updates will follow once the league announces its decision.
Also read on House Of Hockey :
Stan Bowman urged to make a bold move for star Red Wings defenseman despite major trade hurdle
Stan Bowman urged to make a bold move for star Red Wings defenseman despite major trade hurdle