The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Winnipeg Jets forward Brendan Lemieux for two game on Monday for an illegal check to the head of the Florida Panthers’ Vincent Trocheck during their NHL Global Series game on November 2nd.
Lemieux did not have any prior incidents with NHL DOPS in his 18 game NHL career, and Trocheck was not injured on the play (he did miss a shift afterwards, but was back on the ice a little under six minutes of game time afterward).
With Lemieux receiving a match penalty for the hit, an automatic suspension was assessed pending league review. As a result, the Jets’ fourth line has looked like Nic-Petan – Andrew Copp – Jack Roslovic in the last couple of days.
In short, it’s a garbage hit by Lemieux, and one that could see him sent down upon his return to eligibility in two games. Assuming the Jets want to have 13 forwards with the team, leading candidates to replace Lemieux would be Mason Appleton, who leads the Manitoba Moose with 11 points in 11 games, Seth Griffith (nine points in 11 games) or Kristian Vesalainen, who is returning to health after missing the last three AHL games with an upper body injury.
Winnipeg’s Brendan Lemieux has been suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head on Florida’s Vincent Trocheck. https://t.co/tQt7AWcmLH
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 5, 2018
