Kings dispute additional Nolan penalty

It’s not of great consequence in a game they failed to score in, but the Kings were unhappy with the extra minor penalty assessed to Jordan Nolan following his shoulder-to-chest hit on Kyle Chipchura.

The dispute doesn’t stem from the judgement of Nolan’s interference minor, but rather the additional two minutes for roughing he was assessed after he was immediately engaged by Paul Bissonnette and did not offer resistance that appeared appropriate of an extra minor penalty.

“I thought it was a bad call,” Darryl Sutter said. “We shouldn’t have gotten the extra penalty.”

The Coyotes scored 12 seconds into the ensuing power play to turn a 1-0 game into a 2-0 game.

So why was Nolan assessed two minors on the play?

“I’m not sure,” the Kings forward said. “You’d have to ask the ref that called it, but they didn’t like the hit, so they had to make up something, I think.”

Nolan does have a history with Bissonnette and the Coyotes. During a preseason game on September 15, Nolan’s first period open-ice hit on Rusty Klesla left the former Phoenix defenseman with a concussion and whiplash. Bissonnette, who was entering the ice during a line change at the time, drew a suspension that was reduced from 10 games to three games as the league determined that he did not leave the bench illegally, though his participation was described as “principally involving and targeting” Nolan in a situation in which the Coyotes had six players on the ice and the Kings only five. It is explained thoroughly at NHL.com.

“I’ve never been suspended for a dirty hit or anything like that, so I was a little shocked when I got the roughing and the interference call,” Nolan said of his hit in Tuesday’s loss.