Noel Acciari under criticism from experts for a dirty hit on Juraj Slafkovsky

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Julien Trekker
November 3, 2024 (11:15)

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Noel Acciari is under criticism from NHL experts for a dirty hit he landed on Juraj Slafkovsky last night.

In a game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Montreal Canadiens, Juraj Slafkovsky had to leave the ice in the final minutes of the third period after receiving a dangerous hit from Noel Acciari.

Acciari and Slafkovsky were in a race for the puck near the corner of the ice when the Pittsburgh Penguins' forward hit Slafkovsky's head with his shoulder.

Check out the incident here:

Following the hit, Slafkovsky left the ice but his friend and teammate Arber Xhekaj had only one thing in mind: avenge him.

At the end of the game, a big scrum emerged, and Xhekaj dealt with two opponents at the same time, showing why the Montreal Canadiens would make a mistake by trading him.

Click here to watch the whole scene.

The Hockey Night in Canada broadcast discussed the incident after the game. Former NHLers Kevin Bieksa and Luke Gazdic shared their opinion.

Bieksa started by saying he understood why Xhekaj tried to retaliate after Acciari's dirty hit:

"I wouldn't care if it's clean or not - you get my guy; I'm getting you back at some point."

"In hockey, that's a dirty hit. We all know what's happening, two guys are racing for the puck, they are both reaching, and the guy who is supposed to get the puck first just leaves it and hits the guy. That is a bit of a dirty hit."

As for Gazdic, he said that he doesn't like the hit, as Acciari gets his arm up to hit Slafkovsky in the face:

"It's a reverse hit from Acciari and you'll see he kind of gets his arm/elbow up. I don't like it from that angle."

Fans eagerly wait to see if the NHL's Department of Safety will act on this incident. We'll also share updates on Juraj Slafkovsky's health. Stay tuned.