In Tuesday's game between the Arizona Coyotes and the Florida Panthers, the spotlight shifted from the scoreboard to a controversial hit by Coyotes forward Jason Zucker on Nick Cousins of the Panthers. The incident has sparked a heated debate among NHL fans online, with many expressing their opinions on the potential consequences Zucker might face.
Spittin' Chiclets, a popular source for hockey commentary, took to its X account to share a video of the hit, announcing that Jason Zucker is set to have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Wednesday. The caption accompanying the post read:
"Jason Zucker will have a hearing with @NHLPlayerSafety later tonight for this hit on Nick Cousins. How many games will he get?"
Predictably, the hockey community wasted no time voicing their thoughts on the matter.
One fan weighed in with a pragmatic perspective, writing:
"He should get 1 assuming Cousins gets 25. If Zucker gets 2, Cousins should get 50."
The range of opinions on the length of Zucker's suspension is evident in the diverse responses from fans. One fan expressed a belief that Zucker might face a more substantial penalty:
"Probably 3 or 4."
Interestingly, some fans turned their attention to Nick Cousins, proposing a different perspective.
"Cousins should get 10 games, Zucker 1 game!" one user posted.
Once again, a fan reiterated the idea of rewarding Zucker for his actions:
"+2 for doing a good deed for the NHL!"
As the NHL Department of Player Safety reviews the incident and considers the various opinions from fans, the outcome of Jason Zucker's hearing remains uncertain.
Jason Zucker scheduled for a hearing due to boarding incident
Arizona Coyotes forward Jason Zucker is set to have a hearing with the NHL's Department of Player Safety for boarding/interference on Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins.
The incident occurred at 19:09 of the second period when Zucker checked Cousins from behind, causing him to collide face-first into the boards. This followed Cousins elbowing Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki in the head while he was on his knees.
Zucker received a five-minute major for boarding and five minutes for fighting after engaging with Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling. Florida ultimately won 4-1.
Zucker, in his first season with Arizona, has six goals and 12 points in 29 games this season, contributing to his career total of 188 goals and 350 points in 657 NHL games across various teams.