The NHL announced Wednesday that Washington Capitals forward Zach Sill will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for a boarding infraction against Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid.
The hit happened in a game on Tuesday and appeared to briefly leave McQuaid unconscious. He had to be helped from the ice by trainers and teammates and regaining consciousness. No penalty was called on the play, though that will not effect any potential suspension for Sill.
Later in the game Boston announced that they had diagnosed McQuaid with an upper-body injury and that he wouldn’t return. There has been no update on his status at this point.
At Sill’s hearing, he’ll have the advantage of not have a history of suspensions for the league to draw on in sentencing, but with McQuaid getting injured on the play, the likelihood of a longer suspension increases.
Washington's Zach Sill will have a hearing today for boarding Boston's Adam McQuaid.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 6, 2016
Tuesday’s game was just Sill’s fourth NHL game of the season. He has no points on the year. He’s spent the majority of the year playing for the Hersey Bears in the AHL, where he has two goals and nine points through 30 games.
Sill signed with Washington as a free agent in the summer. He finished last season as a part of the Toronto Maple Leafs after he was sent there as a part of the trade that sent Daniel Winnik to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
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