NHL Rumors: How Player Safety Felt About Brad Marchand-Sam Bennett Incident
Sign In
The Bruins clearly felt Sam Bennett crossed a line Friday night, so much so that the Panthers centers perhaps should have received a suspension.
Decision-makers in the NHL’s Player Safety Department apparently felt otherwise.
Boston openly acknowledged it didn’t have a great read on Bennett’s hit on Marchand in real-time at TD Garden. But alternate footage that surfaced well after the incident shows the Florida agitator leading with a fist, which ultimately saddled the Bruins captain with an upper-body injury.
The NHL, like the Bruins, apparently didn’t have access to the additional angles of the incident Friday. But according to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, full access at the time of the incident wouldn’t have altered the NHL’s stance.
“Talked to several people in the league about the Sam Bennett/Brad Marchand play,” Kaplan posted to X on Monday afternoon. “The NHL also didn’t see the reverse angle until Sunday, but it didn’t change how Player Safety saw it — not as a sucker punch, but as a hockey play with two players engaged.”
“Hockey play” also was the phrase Bennett used to defend his hit on Marchand. Furthermore, the 27-year-old was adamant he wasn’t trying to injure the two-time All-Star when they crossed paths early in Game 3.
Marchand was sidelined for Game 4 but traveled to Florida with Boston on Monday. His status for the Bruins’ must-win game Tuesday remains unclear.
More Bruins:
Brad Marchand Feels Bruins Proved Doubters Wrong This Season
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings