Update: The NHL Player Safety Department suspended Niederreiter for one game.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Nino Niederreiter will hold a hearing with the NHL Player Safety Department regarding dangerous stick use on the Capitals’ bench. Players who have DoPS hearings can be fined or suspended for up to four games.
The game in question occurred during the first period of the Capitals’ 4-3 victory over the Hurricanes.
Nino Niederreiter of Carolina will hear today in the case of Axel Jonsson-Fjallby of Washington.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) March 19, 2022
Niederreiter was sent off midway to the bench due to a large check from Tom Wilson. When trying to get off the bench, his helmet flew off his head, and the stick got stuck in Garnet Hathaway’s T-shirt. In retaliation for either having his helmet blown off, his stick being “held” or both, he swung his club wildly and hit Jonsson-Fjallby on the side of the head.
Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette was left on the bench in a rage when the game stopped a few seconds later.
The Capitals bench received a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, while Niederreiter received a sharp minor fine for the game.
“The following grounds for additional discipline are being considered: chopping,” writes DoPS on NHL.com. “However, the Player Safety Department reserves the right to make adjustments to the violation after verification.”
The Swiss forward had no experience with additional disciplines in his 11-year NHL career. In the same game, he also missed a wide open empty net chance as goalkeeper Ilya Samsonov went on a trip behind the net.
Oh no, Nino Niederreiter pic.twitter.com/26kRjZb7iH
— Alex Micheletti (@AlexMicheletti) March 18, 2022
Screenshot via Bally Sports South