New Boston Bruins defenseman John-Michael Liles will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety, the DoPS announced Wednesday.
The hearing will be in regards to a hit delivered to the head of Tampa Bay Lightnning forward Nikita Kucherov in Tuesday’s overtime win against the Bolts.
On the play Kucherov evades Liles as the Bruin steps up on the rush. Instead of letting Kucherov to duck him completely, Liles delivers a hit with his forearm to the head of Kucherov.
Liles was not penalized on the play and while Kucherov briefly left the game, he was able to return and finish the match.
Watch the hit in question below.
Liles doesn’t have a significant history of discipline. He’s just been fined once, back in 2006, for kneeing and has no suspensions.
One fine in the midst of a suspension-less 788-game career seems unlikely to weigh heavily on an suspension, should it come to that.
