Suspension coming? NHL wants to talk to Pietrangelo after chop on Oilers’ Draisaitl
The Edmonton Oilers could be seeing a different lineup on the other side of the ice on Friday night when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights.
The NHL Department of Player Safety has called in Vegas’ Alex Pietrangelo for a hearing after a vicious slash on Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl in the closing moments of last night’s Game 4.
Vegas’ Alex Pietrangelo will have a hearing today for Slashing against Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 11, 2023
With Draisaitl looking to score an empty-net goal in the closing stages of the contest with his team up 4-1, Pietrangelo came across the ice and gave a vicious slash to the midsection of the Oilers’ forward.
Alex Pietrangelo gives Leon Draisaitl a two-handed slash after an empty net opportunity. pic.twitter.com/wziPdleLDx
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 11, 2023
While the slash occurred near the end of the game with Vegas’ goalie pulled, Pietrangelo was ejected from the game. The Vegas defenceman was handed a five-minute major penalty for slashing and a 10-minute misconduct by officials.
Edmonton captain Connor McDavid was among those calling out Pietrangelo’s slash as deserving of supplemental discipline.
“You’d like to see it reviewed for sure. I would like to see it suspended,” McDavid told reporters last night after the team’s win at Rogers Place. “I mean, it’s as intent-to-injure as you can get.”
“That’s not a hockey play,” McDavid added. “But at the end of the day, it’s not in our hands.”
Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft echoed McDavid’s sentiments.
“If you’re asking my opinion on that play, I would not define it as a hockey play,” Woodcroft told reporters after the game. “And I’ll leave it at that.”
News of Pietrangelo’s punishment is likely to come out at some point later today following the hearing.
The series between the two Pacific Division rivals is currently tied at two games apiece. The two teams have alternated wins through the series, with the Golden Knights taking Games 1 and 3, while Edmonton was victorious in Games 2 and 4.
Game 5 goes Friday night in Vegas, with puck drop set for 8 pm MT.
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