Islanders' Ross Johnston To Have Hearing

New York Islanders forward Ross Johnston is set to have a hearing with NHL Player Safety due to an illegal check to the head on New Jersey Devils forward A.J. Greer.

NY Islanders’ Ross Johnston will have a hearing today for an Illegal Check to the Head on New Jersey’s A.J. Greer.

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 14, 2022

When looking at the replay of the incident, it is clear that Johnston makes contact with Greer's head. Yet, NHL Player Safety's job will now be to determine if it was intentional on Johnston's part or accidental.

Johnston has yet to receive a suspension at the NHL level, so he has a clean record. When looking at how physically he plays the game, this may be a surprise to some. Because he isn't a repeat offender, if he receives a suspension, it has a better chance of being a shorter one. 

In nine games this season, Johnston has two assists and four penalty minutes. The 6-foot-5 winger is deeply respected by the Islanders - hence why they gave him a four-year, $4.4 million contract back in October. That's a sizeable contract for a depth forward.

Alas, here's a look at the hit. Do you feel it's worthy of a suspension? Let us know in the comments!

#Isles Ross Johnston will have a hearing today for a illegal check to the head of #NJDevils AJ Greer pic.twitter.com/7jSxAIehX8

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) January 14, 2022

Photo Credit: © Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports