The Chicago Blackhawks could be without one of their main tough guys for the foreseeable future, as Daniel Carcillo has been offered an in-person hearing for his cross-check against Mathieu Perreault of the Winnipeg Jets on Friday night.
Being offered an in-person hearing means that the NHL can suspend Carcillo for six or more games for the infraction. Carcillo can turn down the hearing, but it would still take place over the phone and he would still be eligible for the longer ban.
The play occurred near the end of the second period of the Hawks’ loss to the Jets. Perreault was whistled for a slashing penalty against Duncan Keith, and as the two teams came together along the boards, Carcillo came in and delivered a nasty cross-check to the Winnipeg forward, sending him sprawling to the ice. Perreault ended up leaving the game, and even though the Jets said on Saturday that he didn’t suffer a fractured hand, he still will miss some time due to the injury.
When asked about the play on Saturday morning after the Blackhawks’ practice, Carcillo called the incident “a hockey play” and said that he “wasn’t thinking about anything” when he delivered the hit.
He received a two-minute minor for cross-checking on the play, but it sounds as though he’ll miss a lot more time than that.
