Ryan Millar speaks out on blind-side hits
Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Millar spoke up on Tuesday urging the NHL to "change the culture" regarding hits to head and blind-side hits.
Millar was still fuming after watching team mate Jason Pominville get crushed into the boards by Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson a day earlier. Pominville lay motionless
on the ice for 15 minutes after the hit, suffering a concussion and a gash over his eye. He needed to be taken off the ice on a stretcher.
Hjalmarsson admitted that he did not intend to injure Pominville on the play.
"My intention wasn't to hurt him," he said after the game. "You never want to see someone laying on the ice like that."
However, Millar said it did not make a difference describing the hit as a "dumb hockey play."
"You can't have a hit like that, it's dangerous," Millar said after practice. "I'm glad he admitted he didn't mean to do it. But you've got to change the culture some time, and I hope
the league wakes up and sets a precedent for the year."
Hjalmarsson who received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct on the play received a two-game suspension by the NHL on Tuesday.
Millar also went on to add that "something's got to be done" and that the NHL must be held accountable for not punishing players severely enough on hits to defenceless players.
It is still uncertain as to how long Pominville will be out of the Sabres line-up, but he was still experiencing concussion symptoms on Tuesday and will likely be placed on injury reserve.
The two teams are set to meet again in Chicago on October 16, which prompted Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta to say that the matter will be taken care of.
"I think it'll get taken care of either with the league or, I think, when we play them Saturday," he said. "We'll make a point that you can't be taking hits like that against one of our
leaders."
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