Erik Gudbranson to Have Hearing with Department of Player Safety

Thursday night’s loss to the Boston Bruins wasn’t pretty. The Canucks’ defense was exposed numerous times, goaltending was not up to par, and then there was the Erik Gudbranson hit. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced tonight that Gudbranson will be having a hearing with the league tomorrow.

According to Elliotte Friedman, the hearing will be on the phone, which signals a likely suspension of one to five games. In a post-game interview, Gudbranson stated that his target was Vatrano’s shoulders. However, it’s clear that the point of contact was directly through the back, causing Vatrano’s head to be pushed straight into the glass. It may be hard for Gudbranson to argue his case, especially due to the height difference between the two.

These types of hits are of the variety that the league is trying to eliminate, and based on the film, Gudbranson’s is about as “textbook” as it could get. One point worth noting is that he has no previous history of offenses, which may signal a suspension closer to one game than five.