As an active member of the NHL competition committee, Bruins forward David Backes has a distinct understanding of the league rules. But sometimes he’s left scratching his head over some of the on-ice calls.
Case in point: Thursday night in Sunrise, Florida, where Backes was ejected for his hit on Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck.
Though Backes landed a hit in the head area, Trocheck, who was reaching for the puck in the neutral zone, left himself in a vulnerable spot for the 12-year veteran to deliver an open ice hit. But that didn’t stop the officials from giving Backes a five-minute major after his ensuing fight with Michael Matheson and a game misconduct for hitting from behind at 17:56 of the opening period.