Monday Hearing Scheduled For Bruins Marchand
BOSTON (CBS) – Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand has a disciplinary hearing on Monday to determine if he will be fined or suspended for the five-minute major for clipping and game misconduct he received in the Bruins 4-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Marchand went down low to avoid a hit from Vancouver defenseman Sami Salo, who flipped over the 5-9 winger and suffered a concussion on the play. Marchand claims he was trying to protect himself from a potentially dangerous hit from Salo.
"I did go under him," Marchand said Sunday. "But I felt the base contact was about his hip point. That's usually a pretty legal hit from what I've seen in the past. I have no idea how the league feels about it. I guess we'll see."
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"In this league now-a-days with the size and strength of guys, everyone has to protect themselves," he said. "When you have a guy coming in on you, you have no idea what his intentions are or what the outcome is going be. So you just look out for yourself in that situation."
Bruins head coach Claude Julien said after the game he wants his players to protect themselves from injury.
"I always told my players they need to protect themselves," Julien said on Saturday. "The last thing I want my players to do is get hit and end up with a concussion. They have to protect themselves. Whether it's the right way or the wrong way, it will depend on how the league looks at it."
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Marchand has already been fined once this season, a $2,500 fine for a slew-foot on Pittsburgh defenseman Matt Niskanen in December. He has been suspended once in his career, a two-game ban for an elbow to the head of Columbus' R.J. Umberger.
Marchand's hearing on Monday will be conducted via telephone, meaning he will not be suspended for more than five games.
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