Kadri won’t apologize for Sedin hit, relieved to avoid suspension
TORONTO — Nazem Kadri wasn’t apologizing Monday for a blindside hit that popped the helmet off Canucks winger Daniel Sedin over the weekend.
The 26-year-old escaped suspension for the incident, which saw him glide toward the veteran Swede in the Toronto zone before delivering a nasty strike to the shoulder and head area during Vabcouver’s game in Toronto on Saturday.
Kadri felt like he caught the back right shoulder of Sedin initially, an explanation the NHL’s department of player safety evidently agreed with.
Blindside hits are not illegal if the principal point of contact is not the head, a rule and reality that certainly raises eyebrows given the violent nature of the hit and potentially dangerous end result.