Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube officially reacts to the five-game suspension for Ryan Reaves
Ryan Reaves was handed a five-game suspension for his hit on Darnell Nurse, and it appears Head Coach Craig Berube understands why it was that high.
This past weekend was full of drama in the NHL, but no moment was bigger than Ryan Reaves' hit to the head of Edmonton Oilers blue liner Darnell Nurse.
The play resulted in a five-game suspension, with Nurse having to be helped from the ice as his jersey and visor were stained with blood from the brutal and unnecessary hit to the head.
Many comments have been made about Reaves since the play, and given his lack of contribution to the Maple Leafs beyond his physicality, there are many people calling him out as a dirty player.
However, Head Coach Craig Berube doesn't believe that to be the case, as he stood up for his veteran when asked about the situation.
"His type of game, sometimes things happen. It's not like he's a dirty player," Berube said. "He's a clean player, in my opinion, for his role, and there was no intention of him doing that. It just happened."
When the topic of the five-game suspension came up, Berube made it clear that he understands where the league is coming from with that ruling, acknowledging that the NHL is looking to crack down on this type of hit.
"It's a lot, but at the same time, I get it, too. They've come down hard on hits to the head. It's not like Reavo tried to hit him in the head. It's just a tough play. Tough play," the coach said.
Ultimately, the league had to come down hard on this one as they don't want star players missing significant time, and with the league now being full of skill and speed, that's now where the focus will be.
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