Calgary’s Blake Coleman is out $5,000 after slew-footing Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois.

Coleman’s dangerous play came with 1:30 remaining in the first period of Sunday’s game. The Flames forward was given a minor penalty for tripping by referees by referees Jon McIsaac and Brandon Schrader.  Dubois also picked up a minor penalty for holding on the play, putting the teams at 4-on-4.

Slew-footing is dealt with much more harshly by the NHL rulebook than tripping. According to Rule 52:

Slew-footing is the act of a player using his leg or foot to knock or kick an opponent’s feet from under him, or pushes an opponent’s upper body backward with an arm or elbow, and at the same time with a forward motion of his leg, knocks or kicks the opponent’s feet from under him, causing him to fall violently to the ice.

Any player who is guilty of slew-footing shall be assessed a match penalty.

The officials’ call looked to be based on Dubois’ right arm, which moved behind Coleman’s back to brace for the fall. In real-time, it’s understandable that it may have appeared to be a hold.  Player Safety has the benefit of a lengthy review, which they used to determine that Coleman did, in fact, slew-foot his opponent.

Only major and match penalties are reviewable during the game by the on-ice officials. As this was called a minor penalty, there’s no opportunity for the stripes to review.

 

Coleman wasn’t the only Flame taking out Dubois. The Winnipeg forward was also tripped up by Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom, who picked up a minor for tripping.  The penalty was fittingly served by Coleman.

“I thought he took his leg out, tripped me. I think it’s a dangerous play. I think that’s a dirty play,” Dubois said about the Markstrom trip. “We talk about goalie safety and all that, and I’m 100% on board for that, but, you know, I wasn’t going towards him. Yeah, I get pushed. I wasn’t going towards him. I thought his leg came out. I didn’t look at the replay. Maybe it doesn’t. Maybe it didn’t. If it didn’t, I’ll take back what I said, but I thought that was a very dangerous, very dirty play.”

Calgary went on to win the game 3-2. Referees were Jon McIsaac (#2) and Brandon Schrader (#46) with linesmen Shandor Alphonso (#52) and Kyle Flemington (#55).

Coleman was previously suspended two games for boarding — also against the Winnipeg Jets.  His $5,000 fine is the maximum permitted under the CBA without a formal hearing.