The Ontario Hockey League has suspended Windsor Spitfires forward Zack Kassian 20 games for his hit to the head of the Barrie Colts’ Matt Kennedy on Jan. 14, according to TSN.
Kassian, who was selected 13th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2009 NHL draft, nailed Kennedy with a shoulder to the face while the unsuspecting Kennedy’s head was pointed up looking for a popped-up puck. Kennedy suffered a concussion and needed three stitches on his face from the hit and three staples in the back of his head after cracking it on the ice.
Kennedy, 20, is reportedly considering retirement because this was the fifth concussion of his career, according to the Canadian Press.
Kassian was originally assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for charging. Although it appears he left his feet for the hit, the league ruled that he did not in a statement released by commissioner David Branch.
"It is the position of the league that player Zack Kassian checked the unsuspecting Barrie player while such player was in a vulnerable position without having been in the possession of the puck,” Branch said in the release. "Players must understand that they shall be held accountable for their actions and we must continue to work to improve the level of respect players have towards opposing players."
The hit came the same week Patrice Cormier was suspended indefinitely by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for an elbow to the head of Mikael Tam. That hit captured the attention of the hockey world, and led Bruins forwards Patrice Bergeron and Mark Recchi to condemn that style of play.
