The Chicago Blackhawks took a bite out of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s Stanley Cup chances with their 2-1 win on Wednesday night, but one member of the team may have taken that metaphor a bit too literally.
That player is forward Andrew Shaw, who has been known throughout his career as an instigator and pest on the ice. After Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman gave Patrick Kane a post-whistle shove during a Hawks’ power play, Shaw went after the defenseman to exact some revenge.
After the play was over, Hedman skated back to the Tampa bench and appeared to reveal a bruise on his midsection, leading some spectators and analysts to question whether or not Shaw bit Hedman during the skirmish.
There isn’t any definitive evidence in the video (above), and Hedman refused to say after the game whether Shaw bit him during the wrestling match behind the net, but it wouldn’t be an unprecedented move for a player to be bitten in a Stanley Cup Final fracas. Patrice Bergeron had his finger bitten during a mix-up with Canucks forward Alex Burrows during the 2011 Final, but even with clearer evidence than is present in this case, Burrows wasn’t suspended for his actions.
Our question to you is this: should Shaw be suspended if he did indeed bite Hedman? Or is there not enough evidence to justify league discipline?
