NHL eyes potential supplemental discipline after Oilers-Panthers confrontation gets out of hand
The Stanley Cup finals rematch between the Oilers and Panthers got out of hand last night, and now Trent Frederic and A.J. Greer may face supplemental discipline.
Things got out of hand in last night's Stanley Cup Final rematch between the Oilers and Panthers, and now both Trent Frederic and A.J. Greer may be hearing from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.
There was a flare-up of tempers between the two rivals after what should have been a routine whistle in Edmonton's end. Greer first tangled with Brett Kulak before turning his attention to Frederic, and that's when things escalated fast.
What led to the misconducts being handed out
The Panthers winger locked his hands behind Frederic and drove him down to the ice with a takedown that looked straight out of the UFC.
Despite his arm whipping back awkwardly on the landing, Frederic avoided injury. Once the pile cleared, both players were handed 10-minute misconducts for their roles in the fray.
Why this type of brawl is nothing new
There's some recent precedent for this kind of moment. Last season, Jalen Chatfield slammed a helmet-less Connor McMichael to the ice in a similar fashion, but the Hurricanes defenceman wasn't hit with any supplemental discipline afterwards.
In this case, Frederic had his helmet on, which could factor into the league's decision.
Either way, one thing is for sure: the bitterness of last year's championship series hasn't died out one bit. Punches, pile-ups, and some very dicey takedowns, the rivalry seems to be already firing on all cylinders.
The league likely will take a closer look if the animosity continues to rise as the season wears on. Because if this early meeting was any indication, the Panthers and Oilers aren't done trading blows, on the scoreboard or otherwise.
Previously on HockeyLatest
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 23 | 198 ANSWERS NHL eyes potential supplemental discipline after Oilers-Panthers confrontation gets out of hand Do you believe both players deserve supplemental discipline? | ||
| Yes | 56 | 28.3 % |
| Only Greer | 100 | 50.5 % |
| Only Frederic | 8 | 4 % |
| No | 34 | 17.2 % |
| List of polls | ||