Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse had a major penalty downgraded to a minor after review for a slash that injured Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz.
Early in the third period of Friday’s Game 2, with the Oilers leading 3-0, Nurse and Hintz battled for position at the top of the crease in front of goaltender Stuart Skinner. As the puck left the Oilers zone, Nurse delivered a hard slash on the Dallas center. Hintz went down to the ice in serious pain; he had to be helped off the ice and did not return to the game.
The officials called a major penalty for slashing on the play, then headed over to review the call.
After a few minutes, they downgraded the call on the ice, handing Nurse a two-minute minor for slashing.
The difference beween a minor and major for slashing is based on ‘the severity of the contact’, leaving it up to the officials to make a judgment call. There is, though, a specific portion of the rule above that makes it an easier call.
“When injury occurs, a major penalty must be assessed under this rule.”
NHL Rule 61 covers slashing. Here’s the complete rule:
Slashing is the act of a player swinging his stick at an opponent, whether contact is made or not. Non-aggressive stick contact to the pant or front of the shin pads, should not be penalized as slashing. Any forceful or powerful chop with the stick on an opponent’s body, the opponent’s stick, or on or near the opponent’s hands that, in the judgment of the Referee, is not an attempt to play the puck, shall be penalized as slashing.
A minor penalty, at the discretion of the Referee based on the severity of the contact, shall be imposed on a player
who slashes an opponent.
A major penalty, at the discretion of the Referee based on the severity of the contact, shall be imposed on a player
who slashes an opponent. When injury occurs, a major penalty must be assessed under this rule. Whenever a major penalty is assessed for slashing, a game misconduct penalty must also be imposed.
The Referee, at his discretion, may assess a match penalty if, in his judgment, the player attempted to or deliberately injured his opponent by slashing.
With the initial call being a major, the officials did not have the ability to upgrade the call to a match penalty after review. Of course, one could certainly argue that a violent slash away from the puck would be intent to injure.
Stars forward Mason Marchment felt that there “was some intent, obviously” in Nurse’s chop.
“I don’t really want to tell them what they should do or what they should have called,” said Marchment. “But that’s one of our best players, and I don’t think it was enough.”
In any case, for the penalty to have been downgraded, the refs would have had to confirmed that the contact was not severe and that there was no injury on the play.
Dallas Stars head coach Pete DeBoer didn’t provide an update on Hintz’s injury status, but did respond to a question about the slash.
“I’ll answer your question with a question: Does anyone in this room think if Connor McDavid gets carried off the ice like that, that it’s not a five-minute major?” he said. “That’s my answer to your question.”
There’s no word on Hintz’s status for Sunday’s Game 3.
Update: Nurse will not face any disciplinary action from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, per Sportnet’s Mark Spector.
https://x.com/SportsnetSpec/status/1926320783686586663
Officials for the game were referees Garrett Rank (#7) and Jean Hebert (#15), with linespersons Devin Berg (#87) and Bevan Mills (#53). Ref Dan O’Rourke (#9) and Jonny Murray (#95) were the standby officials.
