The NHL suspended Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton two games for an illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier, NHL Player Safety announced Saturday. Here’s what you need to know.
Why Clifton received the suspension
Clifton had no prior suspension history despite playing more than 200 NHL games and doing so with a heavy-hitting style of play. That helped his case with this suspension decision, but he still got two games after being assessed a match penalty in the game due to the direct contact with Hischier’s head. Hischier briefly returned to the game before leaving again, and that injury likely contributed to the decision as well.
The league deemed this hit to be avoidable and noted in the explanation that Clifton could have hit him lower or chosen a different angle so the head wasn’t the main point of contact. It was bang-bang play, as Hischier decided to one-touch the puck into the zone.
Clifton leads the Sabres in hits because of his willingness to finish checks. He’s brought a needed edge to the Sabres’ lineup, but the league determined this one crossed a line. Sabres coach Don Granato was adamant that there was no intent to injure on Clifton’s part, and Clifton’s clean history in the league would back that up.