NEW YORK – Colorado Avalanche defender Jacob MacDonald was paid for two games without pay on Thursday for an illegal check on the head of Minnesota forward Ryan Hartman.
The NHL Player Safety Division said the contact could have been avoided for MacDonald, who approached Hartman with a back check and hit him on the ice in the first period of Wednesday’s game in Minnesota.
The play did not penalize, and calls from the limited crowd at Xcel Energy Center drew while the replay was shown on the video board. MacDonald points to his shoulder as he looks at it, and seems to claim that he cut Hartman there and not on his head.
MacDonald has one season, six assistants and a plus-13 rating in 27 games this season. He will forfeit $ 12,500 based on his average annual salary.