Boston Bruins defenseman John-Michael Liles has been summoned for a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for what the league called “an illegal check to the head” of Nikita Kucherov during Tuesday night’s overtime win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The hearing will take place Thursday, the league announced Wednesday afternoon.
The hit in question occurred late in the first period of the Bruins’ 1-0 win at Amalie Arena. Kucherov was attempting to split two Bruins defenders at the Boston blue line when Liles dropped him with a forearm/elbow to the head.
The Lightning winger remained down on the ice for several moments and missed the rest of the opening period, but he was back on the bench to begin the second and finished with 16:13 of ice time in the loss.
Liles, who has been fined once but has never been suspended during his 12-year NHL career, was not penalized on the play. The 35-year-old blueliner has played in five games for the Bruins since being acquired from the Carolina Hurricanes at the NHL trade deadline, tallying two assists.
Boston hosts Carolina on Thursday night at TD Garden.
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
