Gabe Vilardi "Spitting Fire" Over Ex-Teammate's Injury-Causing Hit


Gabe Vilardi finally returned to the Winnipeg Jets lineup Thursday night after missing the previous 18 games with a sprained MCL. And he was "spitting fire" about the hit from ex-teammate Blake Lizotte that knocked him out of action for a month and a half. The newest member of the Jets feels it was a dirty play.

Jets beat writer Mike McIntyre reported on Vilardi's first time speaking about the play against his old team, saying he was "spitting fire" about it, accusing Lizotte of pulling a "stupid play." Vilardi was bitter:

It’s frustrating to think that guy sits in the (penalty) box for two minutes and then I have to deal with what I’ve dealt with for the past month and a half. 

I've played with him a lot. He's done a lot of little things like that. It's stuff that you guys say it was an awkward fall; it not an awkward fall. It’s someone pushing your feet out from the back, my knee gets caught under me and then he tackles me. It’s that simple.

And as for whether the two have discussed matters, or if Lizotte has reached out to apologize?...

Vilardi wouldn't get into it, but let's say he probably will when the two teams meet in Los Angeles in two weeks.  

The 24-year-old broke out last season with 23 goals in 63 games for the Kings, and was the key piece returning in the Pierre-Luc Dubois trade this past summer. 

Photo: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports