The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Saturday morning that Capitals forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel will have a hearing today for illegal check to the head on Tampa Bay’s Cal Foote on Friday night.
Washington’s Nicolas Aube-Kubel will have a hearing today for an Illegal Check to the Head on Tampa Bay’s Cal Foote.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 12, 2022
The Capitals lost forward Aube-Kubel during the second period of Friday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, after he was assessed a match penalty for a hit to the head.
The incident occurred at the 1:56 mark of the middle frame, when Aube-Kubel came laterally across the ice and made contact with Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Cal Foote (son of longtime NHL defenseman Adam Foote), who was trailing the play.
A 5-minute penalty is awarded to the @TBLightning after Cal Foote takes a dirty hit from Nicolas Aube-Kubel who has been ejected.@TBLightning | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/2nBPEcAttF
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) November 12, 2022
Aube-Kubel has been previously fined by the NHL for a kneeing incident, and in 2018, during his time with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (Philadelphia Flyers) of the American Hockey League, was suspended three games for an illegal check to the head.
In May 2021, during his time with the Flyers in a game against Washington, Aube-Kubel collided with current teammate Tom Wilson in a knee-on-knee incident.
What are we thinking? How many games?
Since it’s the Caps: 5 games. If it had been a Penguin: no suspension, and an apology from DOPS for disturbing them.
Totally agree and if it had been Crosby then the player he hit would have been suspended for 5 games for getting in his way.. Understand the need for fights and truly would love to see someone just clean Sids clock not once but a few times and maybe even break his jaw. .
Saturday is passing and at 7pm NHL’s website has nothing new. Since I didn’t read of a whole list of violations yesterday, DOPES shouldn’t be backed up. Is this delay bad news or good news?
How about it, Fyre! As someone who has to write about the verdict, it’s been a day of tapping fingers. 🙄 if they wait til Sunday….
So, do you feel it is good news or bad news for the delay? Or simply that NAK is on board the Caps charter plane and thus unavailable? 79 degrees, lots of sun in Tampa, so they can’t keep that plane circling forever! (Osh should have flown down and rehabbed at the beach — or Ovi’s condo on the Atlantic side.)
I’ve gone back and fourth on that. I think they rendered a verdict before the team left. They need to create those videos for longer suspensions, but that’s pure speculation. I think it’s just they don’t have much of a deadline.
Am not used to secrets lasting that long. And I believe he is suspended until judgement is rendered, so the team does need to know who is going to play so they and the player can get ready. Bad DOPES!