Ryan Reaves has been suspended for five games after a controversial hit on Darnell Nurse. Now, NHL analyst and popular hockey podcast host Paul Bissonnette has shared his thoughts on the hit, and many agree with every word he said.
The controversial incident occurred early in the second period of Saturday’s game between the Maple Leafs and the Oilers. As Darnell Nurse tried to exit the Oilers’ zone, Ryan Reaves stepped up and delivered a big hit.
It probably wasn’t Reaves’ intent, but all the contact was with Nurse’s head. The Oilers defenseman needed help from teammates and medical staff to leave the ice and did not return to the game. Reaves was ejected, and on Sunday, the NHL announced that Reaves was suspended for the next five games.
Paul Bissonnette makes his feelings known
Opinions on social media about the hit and Reaves’ suspension have been mixed. Many claimed that Reaves is a repeat offender and that the league needed to throw the book at him with a longer suspension.
However, others argued that Nurse didn’t protect himself and put himself in a vulnerable position with his head down.
Now, NHL analyst Paul Bissonnette has shared his thoughts about the hit in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
“I think that Reavo is going into that hit with no ill intentions,” Biz said.
“He thinks that Darnell will go around the net, with his head up, and he’s going to bury his shoulder into either his shoulder or chest to make a big play. Reavo actually meets Darnell stick on stick, and I’m not sure if that’s what causes Darnell to hesitate and not go around the net. He never gets his left shoulder around, and he also has his head completely exposed.
“But the reason Reavo gets the game is that he has the ability to get Darnell in the right shoulder. He misses it, and he gets him right in the button. And as a result, he’s knocked out, he’s bleeding, and what the f—k do you want the refs to do? At minimum, he should’ve gotten the game, because he missed the shoulder.”
Bissonnette claims game ejection was correct
Paul Bissonnette didn’t want to comment on Reaves’ suspension, claiming that’s “up to the league to decide.”
“But like I said, I don’t think Reavo goes into that hit with ill intentions. Then again, it has to be the responsibility of the player—he missed the shoulder, he got him in the head, and he knocked him out. You can’t just say, ‘Ah, two minutes.’ That’s not where we’re at. It sucks—I love Reavo, I don’t think he’s a bad guy, but he has to pay the piper sometimes.”
On social media, many agreed with Bissonnette’s take. He’s always been known to defend big hits, but this time, fans think he was absolutely spot on!
READ MORE: Ryan Reaves apologized to Darnell Nurse after controversial hit
