For the fourth time in his National League career, Ryan Reaves must serve a suspension for a dangerous move, but head coach Craig Berube insists he is not a “sneaky player.”
The Toronto Maple Leafs pilot, himself a bully during his hockey career, defended the striker at a press briefing on Monday. Sent into the fray after a goal by the Edmonton Oilers, Reaves reacted by hard tackling defenseman Darnell Nurse.
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With the main point of contact being the head and the Leafs veteran making no effort to avoid the impact, the player safety department decided to suspend him for five games.
“It’s hard. It’s a lot [de matchs]but at the same time, I understand. They severely punish hits to the head. It’s not like Reave tried to hit him in the head,” Berube said.
“He is disappointed to have let his team down,” continued the coach. “With the way he plays, these kinds of things can happen. He is not a sneaky player. In my opinion he is a clean player. He had no intention of doing that.”
Few people will agree with Berube, however, especially after seeing Nurse’s bloodied face and blank stare. The rearguard will need “5 to 10 days” to recover from his injury, the Oilers have predicted.
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