The NHL suspended Nashville Predators rookie forward Zachary L’Heureux for three games on Thursday for slew-footing Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon.
The discipline was handed down after L’Heureux had a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Thursday afternoon.
The incident occurred at the 3:19 mark of the second period during the Predators’ 5-3 road loss to the Wild on Tuesday. L’Heureux was assessed a game misconduct for slew-footing Spurgeon as both players chased a loose puck. Spurgeon collided feet-first into the boards and was injured on the play.
The league said most slew-footing infractions can be “sufficiently penalized” by in-game penalties.
“However, when a player simultaneously kicks out the skates of an opponent from behind while at the same time driving his upper body backwards, he renders his opponent defenseless and at risk of injury, and the offense may warrant supplemental discipline,” a Player Safety official said in an explanation video.
“In this case, L’Heureux makes legal upper-body contact with Spurgeon, but then leverages his arm and the position of his skates to shove Spurgeon backwards in a way that renders him defenseless. What elevates this play further is the speed at which the players are traveling and their proximity to the boards.”
Though it marks L’Heureux’s first NHL discipline, he was suspended on nine occasions while playing junior hockey in the QMJHL and twice in the AHL, according to the Tennessean.
He will sit out the Predators’ three-game trip to face the Vancouver Jets, Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets on Friday, Saturday and Tuesday. He’ll be eligible to return on Jan. 11 against the visiting Washington Capitals.
Drafted in the first round (27th overall) by Nashville in 2021, L’Heureux has recorded nine points (four goals, five assists) and 32 penalty minutes in 33 games this season.
–Field Level Media
