NHL Department of Player Safety makes official ruling on controversial Matthew Knies hit
Matthew Knies laid a questionable hit on Tuesday night against New Jersey, and now the NHL's DoPS has made an official call on his suspension fate.
Tuesday night was full of incredible matchups in the NHL, but none were more exciting than the Maple Leafs' battle with the New Jersey Devils, as the team pulled out a 2-1 victory despite being outshot 38-14 on the night.
The game was full of exciting moments, but one of the biggest was Matthew Knies's hit on the Devils Jonathan Kovacevic, a play that was called for boarding, although it was just a minor penalty on the ice.
Given the way the NHL is trying to protect players from unnecessary hits like this, there were certainly fears that this could lead to at least a one-game suspension for the young Maple Leafs forward.
However, the deadline to dish out supplemental punishment has come and gone, meaning that despite the bias that many fans believe the NHL's Department of Player Safety has against Toronto, Knies will face no time on the sidelines.
With 16 points this season despite some absences, Knies is blossoming into quite the top-line player for the Maple Leafs, so to not lose him for the season is a major bonus.
He has also missed several games due to injury in 2024/25, much like many players in the Maple Leafs lineup, so to get him back and keep him in the lineup is great news for Toronto, who appear to be finding their very best early in the new campaign.
This call could have gone either way, as it wasn't a pleasant hit from Knies, but with many of these types of plays resulting in minor penalties, it appears that at the very least, the league has found some consistency in these calls.
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