Shaw Suspended 2 Games for Kneeing Svechnikov, NHL Explains

It took two cheap shots on San Jose Sharks players, but Mason Shaw finally got disciplined by the NHL.

On Nov. 13, Shaw hit Radim Simek high, concussing the Sharks defenseman. Shaw was not penalized on the ice or disciplined by the league. Simek wouldn’t return to the San Jose line-up until Nov. 25, but he made his feelings known about the hit, calling it a “dirty, dirty play.”

SJHN Daily: Simek Says Shaw Hit ‘Dirty’

Last night, Shaw kneed Evgeny Svechnikov midway through the second period. Svechnikov immediately left the game, and Shaw received a five-minute major penalty and was ejected. Svechnikov would return in the third period in a 5-2 San Jose Sharks victory.

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced today that Shaw would be suspended for two games for kneeing.

Mason Shaw knees Evgeny Svechnikov.
5 min major and a game misconduct. pic.twitter.com/PHIMJQUbay

— JD Young (Notable?) (@MyFryHole) December 23, 2022

“Sensing pressure, Svechnikov moves the puck, his momentum changing as he does so,” the league explained. “Now at risk for missing the hit, Shaw adjusts his body, picking up his leg, and driving his knee forward into the knee of Svechnikov, recklessly causing a leg-on-leg collision.”

The DOPS added: “It is important to note that this is not a case when a sudden movement by a player receiving the hit created an unavoidable impact.”

We’ll see how Svechnikov feels after the Christmas break. The San Jose Sharks winger returned to action but had ice around his knee after the game.

“Once I got back in the room [after the hit], I kind of shook around,” he said yesterday. “We’ll see. It’s still not the best, but we’ll see.”

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Meanwhile, Shaw, who’s had three ACL surgeries himself, contended to The Athletic yesterday: “I didn’t change my angle. I stayed on pretty much the exact same line where I finished the hit.”

Obviously, the NHL Department of Player Safety disagreed.