Erik Johnson delivered a nasty elbow to the head of Minnesota’s Erik Haula on Saturday night. Johnson appeared to be lining up a hip check, but Haula darted in a new direction and Johnson extended his elbow in a last attempt to make contact. The end result was ugly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvdGiKHr8z0
Following the hit, Johnson received a major penalty and a game misconduct.
Wild fans were crying out for additional discipline to be sent Johnson’s way, but that doesn’t sound like it’s going to happen.
No further discipline is expected for #avs defenseman Erik Johnson.
— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) October 12, 2014
Should there be an additional punishment sent Johnson’s way? Has the NHL avoided handing out a punishment because Haula wasn’t injured (that we know of) on the play? The lack of injury almost always seems to factor into decisions, or non-decisions by the NHL, which is a point we have argued at length on this site.
The ruling here is a tricky one. You could make a strong case that Johnson committed a dangerous play which could have resulted in a serious injury, but this doesn’t appear to be a premeditated act which Johnson carried out with an intent to injure. Of course, Wild fans will disagree, but that’s why the work done by the NHL’s Department of Safety is so difficult.
