He sort of left his feet although he kept his plant foot on ice (his other one was in air) and its a head shot with an elbow. The new NHL I guess
The inconsistency of suspension rulings in the NHL is what's absurd. You literally never know what to expect. Seriously. This hit could have been anywhere from no suspension whatsoever to 10 games with how ridiculously arbitrary the decisions are.
If it was that low life, scumbag Scott Stevens they would be raving about what a great hit it was. Stevens was a classless, dirty, head hunter who was praised for cheapshots. That hit might have deserved one game and no 5 minute major in the game. I thought he mildly targeted the head of the other player. However, it was not a match penalty. A 5 minute penalty and over 1 game suspension should be for a hit you have no doubt about. I can't say for sure he tried to hurt him. If I was ruling on it i might give him a game because he could have made a different hit by directing it a little lower. Wayne Simmonds slashed McDonagh with deliberate intent to injure at the end of the season and didn't get squat. Another example of why the NHL is a joke. Lucic stabs a guy in the nuts and gets nothing. He clearly wanted to hurt the other player and gets a joke 5,000 fine.
On a positive note, that absolute piece of shit Matt Cooke received a 7 game suspension for his kneeing penalty on Tyson Barrie. The notion that Cooke changed his ways by simply donning a Pens jersey was bullshit. How this chump's career hasn't been ended by a similar shot remains a mystery to me.
Absolute bullshit that he only got 7 games. He should have gotten 20+ because of his history and the severity of the injury. If it were me, I'd have given him 82 games off and let him go to arbitration to get it lowered. Guy should be outta the NHL already. Amazing to me that the NHL is ok with this piece of shit out there injuring guys, yet Avery saying "sloppy seconds" was worthy of an indefinite suspension and basically the NHL running him out of the game. Un-fucking-real. Hope you're happy Bettman.