Panthers' Sam Bennett To Have Hearing

NHL Player Safety has announced that Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett will have a hearing on Sunday for an illegal check to the head on Montreal Canadiens forward Cedric Paquette.

When taking a look at the play, it is rather clear that Bennett does strike Paquette in the head with his shoulder. Following the hit, Paquette stayed down on the ice and was in clear pain. Surprisingly, Bennett did not receive a penalty of any kind.

This isn’t a great hit from Bennett on Paquette. He did get a good chunk of chest/shoulder, but a lot of head contact as well. I think it’s borderline per NHL rules(can argue about changing those), but it’s a dangerous hit for sure as it’s a terrible angle and high. pic.twitter.com/X4lgm2TvJK
— Bolts Jolts (@BoltsJolts) January 1, 2022

Paquette also left the game following the hit. As for Bennett, he scored two goals on the night and helped the Panthers secure their 5-2 victory. Needless to say, it's easy to understand why Montreal fans are angry about the situation.

We will have to wait and see what kind of discipline Bennett receives from here. We'll provide an update once NHL Player Safety announces it.