NHL disciplinary committee reportedly decided Cedric Pare's fate following Patrik Laine's injury
Photo credit: Toronto Maple Leafs on YouTube
After his nasty hit on Patrik Laine in a preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens, the NHL disciplinary committee has reportedly decided Cedric Pare's fate.
Craig Berube has been aiming to make the Toronto Maple Leafs a tougher, grittier team after some serious issues making any progress toward the Stanley Cup. However, after two preseason games, some of the less experienced players have made some laughable mistakes. Yet, despite the backlash Nick Robertson faced for his strange attempt to push William Nylander ahead with his stick, one AHL forward has garnered the vitriol of far more fans in the NHL. During their game against the Montreal Canadiens Saturday night, 25-year-old Toronto Marlies forward Cedric Pare forced a collision with Patrik Laine, causing his knee to bend the wrong way. The newly acquired Laine was forced to leave the game and could face significant time back off the ice. Despite the potential severity of the issue, Cedric Pare seemed to show little remorse in his post-game interview.
"I mean, it's a fast game, you know? Like, it wasn't my intention. Just unfortunate, I hope he's fine. It wasn't my intention, I didn't mean to do that."
Yet, against what many fans believed to be right, the NHL disciplinary committee seems to have let this slide. The 5:00 PM deadline for a ruling has passed, and no further statement has been made. Thus, Cedric Pare will not face any further consequences for injuring Patrik Laine.
While the NHL did nothing to hold Cedric Pare accountable, another player was punished for his attempt to take justice into his own hands. After no call was made on the ice against the Marlies forward, Montreal Canadiens enforcer Arber Xhekaj got payback for Patrik Laine, delivering a heavy set of blows to the Toronto player. After both teams mobbed and got pulled apart, Xhekaj was assessed 27 penalty minutes. He has now been fined the maximum amount allowable under the current CBA for unsportsmanlike conduct.
There is no question that the initial hit should not have gone unanswered, yet Arber Xhekaj's proximity of hits to the back of the head was dangerous and excessive and a fine is more than just. However, the NHL's decision not to hold Cedric Pare accountable for a move that could so obviously cause major issues for a player and their team, is at least as laughable, especially provided his condition compared to Patrik Laine's. Hopefully, this sort of leniency to AHL players does not make a patterned return.
