Boston Bruins winger Zac Rinaldo will not receive supplemental discipline for his hit on Philadelphia Flyers forward Sean Couturier, the NHL announced Thursday.
As detailed in a video explaining the decision, the league’s Department of Player Safety said it supported the call on the ice (a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for Rinaldo) but ruled the hit did not meet the criteria necessary to warrant additional punishment.
Rinaldo has been suspended a total of 14 games in his NHL career — one of his previous hits even was used as an example in the video — but the league clarified that a player’s disciplinary history only can affect the severity of a punishment, not whether or not he receives one.
“It is important to note that while Rinaldo has an extensive history of supplemental discipline, that history only comes into play after it is determined that a check is worthy of supplemental discipline,” the video stated. “The hit itself is evaluated on its own merits, not on the player delivering a check.”
The hit in question came as time expired in the first period of Wednesday night’s game, which the Flyers went on to win 5-4 in overtime.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
