Another Calgary Flames player is staring down the barrel of an early-season suspension.
First, it was Rasmus Andersson getting barred for four games for a late hit on Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine, and now, Andrew Mangiapane could be missing a similar amount of time.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Sunday Mangiapane would have a hearing for a cross-check he laid on Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann Saturday night. The incident happened in the first period, and resulted in Mangiapane getting a match penalty.
McCann had fallen to the ice in the Kraken zone near the feet of Mangiapane to block a shot, which he did, and the puck ended up underneath him. Standing overtop of McCann, Mangiapane leaned down on McCann’s lower-back with his stick, before delivering a cross-check that landed across his upper back, head, and neck.
McCann would remain in the game, but played just 11:19 — his lowest time-on-ice mark of the season, and his fifth lowest among the 165 games he’s plaeyd in Seattle.
As our own Ryan Pike alluded to last night , Jamie Benn was suspended for two playoff games last year against the Vegas Golden Knights for a similar cross-check. Mark Stone laid a hit on Benn, and Stone fell to the ice first, before Benn came down with a cross check to a similar spot as Mangiapane did on McCann.
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