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700-game NHL veteran rips Tim Stutzle for diving & exaggerating injuries

Originally posted on Hockey Unplugged | By Axel Williams | Last updated Oct 3, 2024 4:56 PM ET

Tim Stutzle of the Ottawa Senators got hit hard by Arber Xhekaj and in the eyes of many, it was a hit that should have led to a suspension.

However, as many of you know, that is not how the situation ended up playing out. Instead, Xhekaj was able to walk free. Furthermore, despite the initial reaction from Stutzle on the hit, he was not injured. Below, in new footage from the play, it is revealed that Xhekaj avoided head contact. It was simply Stutzle's stick that did the damage to him.

In the aftermath of all of this, Stutzle is being called out by fans for being a frequent diver. In fact, some say that he is consistently embellishing and faking injuries as a means to get penalty calls. On Tuesday night, it worked out in his favor as Xhekaj was kicked out of the game entirely. However, many fans have had enough with this kind of behavior.

One person who is over it is Jason Demers, a 700-game NHL veteran who has played for numerous teams. In a tweet, Demers went off on Stutzle and even tried to get former NHL referee Tim Peel on his side.

'If Tim Stutzle keeps and I'll be nice "exaggerating " when he gets hit, he will lose respect fast in the league and draw the ire of not only players but referees
@TimCPeel20 what are your thoughts on this ?? Just came out that Wi-Fi caught him in the chest not the head'

This article first appeared on Hockey Unplugged and was syndicated with permission.

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