Nashville Predators defenseman PK Subban will not face disciplinary action for boarding Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn.
No penalty was called on the play, which came in the closing minutes of the second period of Wednesday’s game, with Nashville trailing 5-0.
The hit was similar to a check that saw Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov suspended for one game.
Benn was hooked to the ice by Preds winger Nick Bonino. While on his knees, he was hit into the boards by Subban. The Nasvhille blueliner appeared to pull up on the hit, opting to finish his check, but not to drive his opponent’s head into the board like Kucherov did. Benn also appeared to brace for impact, his change in body position possibly contributing to the angle of the hit. Ben may have avoided the worst of Subban’s check by ducking down just prior to the collision.
Former NHL referee Stephane Auger agreed with the league’s decision not to suspend Subban, but called for a minor penalty for the hit.
Benn was not injured on the play.
