The NHL suspended Jordan Nolan for two games and articulated the decision in the video below:
According to the Department of Player Safety, “At no point is Helm eligible to be hit on this play in any manner.” I’m iffy on that interpretation, considering the puck had just left Helm’s stick and Nolan approached from what appeared to an angle. According to Darryl Sutter earlier today, “I think Jordan didn’t target the head, didn’t throw himself into it. Actually, he glided into it. The player’s feet were moving not towards the boards, down the boards.”
Among the other judgments expressed in the video:
-Nolan makes contact “squarely in Helm’s back”
-“…from the moment he changes directions, and while tracking Helm for some distance, Nolan sees nothing but Helm’s numbers”
Jordan Nolan, on his interpretation of the hit:
His feet were pointed up the ice, and I thought he was close enough to the boards where he wasn’t going to go in awkwardly. [Reporter: Is this just something where you just accept what happens and you move on?] I mean, there’s not much you can do about it. The league pretty much makes up their mind right away. Obviously I’m disappointed and shocked, but there’s nothing you can really do about it. [Reporter: Did you get the call this morning? Did you have to talk to them?] Yeah, we had the conference call this morning. Just gave my thoughts on the hit and what I was thinking, and they talked about what they thought. I mean, I don’t know – there’s not much you can say about it in certain situations. They’re going to make their minds up, and that’s it.
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