“I don’t know if that’s a sell job or not”: Kevin Bieksa hints at potential Eetu Luostarinen embellishment after Warren Foegele ejection

Florida Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen was on the receiving end of a huge knee-on-knee hit from the Oilers' Warren Foegele. The hit knocked Luostarinen down to the ice, requiring assistance from the training staff to head to the dressing room.

The officials on the ice issued a five-minute major for the hit and a game misconduct to Foegele. However, analyst Kevin Bieksa isn’t entirely convinced the hit was as bad as it seemed. Bieksa stated during the first intermission broadcast:

"I don’t know if that’s a sell job or not."

Bieksa’s rationale is that by staying on the ice for as long as he did, Eetu Luostarinen sold the call as a major penalty. The panel felt the penalty should have been a two-minute minor.

Bieksa explained his reasoning as follows:

"But obviously that probably played into it a little bit in this decision. He was on the ice, and he looked like he was severely hurt. The knee is extended out, sorry forward, not out to the side, for that reason, there’s no right or wrong answer. But for me, I wouldn’t call that a five."

The Oilers killed off the ensuing five-minute Panthers’ powerplay. Meanwhile, Eetu Luostarinen returned to the game. Apparently, he did not sustain a serious injury in the play. As for Foegele, the league may review the play and potentially issue further discipline.

Warren Foegele's hit on Eetu Luostarinen could lead to a suspension

The league’s Department of Player Safety (DoPS) will certainly look into the hit on Eetu Luostarinen. Whether the league decides to issue further discipline is debatable.

While the call on the ice stood following review, the league may not consider it worthy of a fine or suspension. Nevertheless, there is precedent for suspensions following knee-on-knee collisions.

In 2023, Los Angeles Kings player Arthur Kaliyev got a two-game suspension for a knee-on-knee hit during a preseason contest. Similarly, the Winnipeg Jets’ Neal Pionk received a two-game suspension for a hit on then-Toronto Maple Leafs player Rasmus Sandin in 2021.

It seems unlikely the DoPS would suspend Foegele for the hit on Eetu Luostarinen. The replay didn’t show a clear intention on Foegele’s part to clip Luostarinen. Still, the DoPS might feel compelled to issue a warning to the players for the rest of this series and beyond.

If that’s the case, Foegele may get a fine for the incident. One thing is certain, though: The league takes player safety very seriously. As a result, this play will get quite a bit of attention moving forward.