Bruins' Liles Avoids League Discipline For Hit On Tampa's Kucherov
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Thursday that Bruins defenseman John-Michael Liles will not be disciplined for his elbow to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov.
Liles delivered an elbow to Kucherov's head and face during the Bruins' 1-0 overtime win in Tampa on Tuesday. The video shows what the league ultimately determined: that Liles' head contact was purely incidental and could not have been avoided. It didn't help Kucherov's case that he was not injured and stayed in the game, or that he made himself vulnerable by skating across the ice with his head down.
Liles remains without a disciplinary record for illegal hits. The ruling could set a precedent for incidental head contact, which is allowed under limited circumstances in the NHL rule book. After this, it's impossible for the league to hand out any punishments for pure head contact in a "zero-tolerance" manner.
Liles said after the game that he had no intent to elbow Kucherov in the head, and based on the video that shows Liles moving laterally and making no upward movements with his arm, it's hard not to believe him. The league certainly did.
The announcement comes on the same day that the league announced a three-game suspension for Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse for instigating a fight against Sharks defenseman Roman Polak.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. His opinions do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.