NHL Department Player of Safety confirms Max Domi's fate after punching Adam Fantilli in the back of the head
The Department of Player Safety has made a decision regarding Max Domi's punch to the back of Adam Fantilli's head. It will likely anger Columbus fans.
It was 'Frozen Frenzy' in the NHL on Saturday, with all 32 teams taking to the ice, including one matchup pitting the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was a complete performance for the Blue Jackets, who came at the Leafs hard throughout the night. Toronto looked sluggish and it surely seemed like that as Toronto's lackluster effort left them a step behind Columbus all night.
One of those tough nights was with forward Max Domi, who had a tough outing with the Leafs. He is a player who, after that hot start in the season, just had a really difficult game and probably his worst outing all season. He was absolutely out of rhythm, and couldn't create any kind of momentum onto the ice that mightily disappointed fans and analysts alike.
The frustration, it seemed at one point in the game, got the better of Domi. He was involved in a controversial incident where he took a cheap shot against Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli after a faceoff, hitting the back of his head. Many people believe that Domi used the butt end of his stick, something that could have critically injured him. The NHL opted not to discipline Domi for the hit, which has been highly debated.
This, in turn, made furious Blue Jackets fans claiming that the NHL inconsistently disciplined certain actions. They cited a more vicious hit on the same night by New York Rangers' Jacob Trouba against Montreal Canadiens' defenseman Justin Barron, which somehow did not result in a suspension and looked so much worse than Domi's, which has made fans wonder what it takes to get some discipline in this league.
Ultimately, though, Max Domi dodged suspension, and the whole incident showed larger issues of inconsistencies within the NHL when it came to reprimanding players. Rather than direct their anger fully at Domi himself, Blue Jackets fans may be better off looking to the NHL Player Safety Department, which time in and time out has seemed to drop the ball on fair and reasoned judgments.
