The hockey world was furious after witnessing Jalen Chatfield’s dangerous move in a fight with Connor McMichael earlier this week. Despite the risky takedown, Chatfield received no discipline, and now analysts Paul Bissonnette and Keith Yandle are weighing in on the controversy—opinions many are likely to agree with.
Many expected the Department of Player Safety to hand out supplemental discipline to Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield after he dangerously took down Washington Capitals forward Connor McMichael on Wednesday night. Both players were without helmets when Chatfield grabbed McMichael’s jersey from the front and back, using his skate as leverage to slam him to the ice.
McMichael wasn’t injured, but many were outraged, arguing that Chatfield could have seriously harmed his opponent, given how vulnerable his unprotected head was.
Paul Bissonnette’s take on Chatfield
Fans, experts, and analysts have all shared their takes on Chatfield avoiding discipline for the takedown, and now former NHLers Paul Bissonnette and Keith Yandle are offering their unfiltered opinions. They also responded to those arguing that the play was no more than a slewfoot.
“In the sense of the arm and leg sweeping, yes,” Bissonnette said on NHL Coast to Coast on Prime Video. “I didn’t necessarily agree with that either because I think he knew what he was doing, even though his leg didn’t fully follow through. But he planted it, used that angle and leverage. So to me, it’s kind of like a slewfoot.”
Keith Yandle, meanwhile, took issue with who initiated the takedown.
“What I don’t like about it is that Chatfield is more of a rugged player than McMichael,” he said. “I would almost get it if McMichael did it to Chatfield. I just don’t like that type of play in hockey, especially when guys’ helmets are off, and they could hit the ice. It could’ve been really bad, and I’m glad it wasn’t.”
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