In the second period of last night’s game between the Montreal Canadiens and Florida Panthers, Paul Byron was called for charging after a hit on MacKenzie Weegar behind the net. The forward leapt up prior to contact, which was made with Weegar’s head, sending the Habs forward to the box for two minutes.
The result was more severe for the defenceman, who was forced out of the game after the hit and didn’t play another shift.
While it was likely not the intent of Byron, the head contact made it an illegal, and dangerous, play, leading to a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.