Ryan Reaves violent hit on Darnell Nurse. 5 min major + ejected

[LeafGrief]

Reaves will almost certainly get some games because the principal point of contact is the head and the angle of approach means the check doesn’t go through the head and into the body (which is legal). But this isn’t a blindside and Reaves isn’t jumping up into the hit. Nurse is leaning forward and Reaves is huge, which contributes to this being head contact.

If Jeannot got three for Boeser, I’d think Reaves gets one here. He’s not deliberately head hunting, he’s eligible to hit the player with the puck and his hitting form is acceptable. But he goes right through the head from an angle without catching a lot of the body. If he’d been about three inches to the left this would have been the hit of the season.

Best wishes to Nurse.

 

[Jean Luc Discard]

Get this plug out of the NHL.

Reaves tried his best.

 

[Jumptheshark]

It's always ironic that players are expected to fight after clean hits.

Yet when Reaves makes an arguably dirty hit and knocks your player out, no one looks twice at him.

Nurse is the tough guy on the Oilers till Kane comes back

 

[mouser]

I’d guess 4 games minimum, 6 games maximum suspension.

Reaves has past history of suspensions up to two games. His head hit on Nurse includes injury, so I’d be mildly surprised if it’s less than 4 games.

 

[JianYang]

I honestly don't see what is really wrong with this kinda hit... Its unfortunate outcome, and there is definitely head contact, but Nurse is just looking down goin around the net and leaning forward. What is Reaves suppose to do if he wants to lay the body there? Just pull up and not because Nurse is skating around the net with his head down? Fast pace game, will always be situations like his that walk a fine line that can turn it to go either way.

He'll get suspended though for sure.

Poor edmonton down to just 2 NHL defence men now.

You're battling uphill just based on the head being the principal point of contact.

This hit checks alot of bad boxes so the question at this point is not if but how many, and rightfully so.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

To my fellow Leafs fans saying Nurse bent over or whatever, sorry, the onus is on the hitter to avoid head contact. That's a hard plastic shoulder pad right to the jaw. Reaves is getting a few games for this.

 

[Tasteless Beaver]

This will be his fourth suspension, textbook headshot with bad result - I'll guess 5 games, and nothing will change across the league.

 

[LTIR]

Would've been shoulder to shoulder if Nurse was a foot taller.

 

[Bradely]

He was going for a huge hit, but doesn't seem to try and get the head.

The thing is. He did get the head, and looks like he got it first. That should and likely will be a suspension; fully deserved.

.....

Am I crazy? Headshot was definitely no good, but no charge, no jump + nurse being crouched over not protecting himself. 2 games maybe?

 

[Commander Clueless]

That's not a good hit.

Reavo needs to sit.

 

[Panteras]

Oh it’s not “keep your head up bud” around here? Aww I’m disappointed HFboards

 

[featherhawk]

Reaves tried his best.

tried his best to what?

 

[Dirty Dan]

Not sure why Nurse was skating with his head down completely unaware that Reaves was coming, no sense of self preservation?

League is softer now plus it's a nothing game between two contenders

 

[Canucks LB]

10 games, dirty af

 

[Acesup]

Pretty clean hit don't see the problem...

 

[All Mod Cons]

10 games, dirty af

The rest of the season would really help the Leafs.

 

[333359]

Addition by subtraction. Good for both teams.

 

[crump]

That was a heavy hit. Hit his head, so yes, he’s going to get some games. Repeat offender so I bet 5 at least. He wanted to decimate him, just not the way it worked out. Didn’t throw an elbow, or jump. It’s a game of inches, so close to being a solid great hit. Ended up being pretty brutal.

 

[dez]

3 games

 

[uncleben]

Don't think the result was intentional, but it was certainly reckless. It'll be a big suspension, I bet

 

[REALTALK81]

Blindside on a player with his head down. He needs 5 to 10 but who knows with the DOPS. Might be a $5K fine.

 

[OneSharpMarble]

Could have hit him in the shoulder but swings right past and nails the head. Give him 15 games and send a message.

 

[uncleben]

That was a heavy hit. Hit his head, so yes, he’s going to get some games. Repeat offender so I bet 5 at least. He wanted to decimate him, just not the way it worked out. Didn’t throw an elbow, or jump. It’s a game of inches, so close to being a solid great hit. Ended up being pretty brutal.

Just fwiw, he is not considered a "repeat offender" by the CBA ("suspended within the past 18 months")

His history of supplemental discipline can and will certainly factor, but the won't be recorded as a "repeat offender" and won't be fined as such (repeat offenders essentially lose twice as much money while suspended)

 

[All Mod Cons]

I bet Neal Pionk is over the moon this happened.

 

[Cap'n Flavour]

He wanted to decimate him, just not the way it worked out.

A typical NHLer's head is probably 5-6% of his weight but 10-12% of his height. Not sure about the volume. Anyway a full on decapitation would be in the right ballpark for decimation.

If I'm Reavo though I probably don't mention this in my hearing.