Going to record a reactions video later - but I thought it was a major penalty, but not a dirty hit. I think both things can be true. Any head contact is supposed to be a major, and from the replay angles I saw, I thought the principal point of contact was the head. That said, I also don't think that Lavins targeted the head. However, the responsibility is supposed to be on the player delivering the hit to avoid head contact. So to me, I thought it was a major penalty for contact to the head.
At the very least, it should have been a minor penalty called on the ice. You can't call a minor penalty out of a review. But a minor is called if the official sees the contact to the head as inadvertent contact or situations that otherwise included legal checking tactics.
The other thing is - even though I don't think Lavins targeted the head, he did propel upward finishing the check. His skates came off the ice. That should be considered.
There is another part of the rule that says the hit is reckless if the playing being hit "is about to receive a pass" or or if the player delivering the hit "extends and directs the arm, elbow, forearm, or shoulder to contact the head or neck area" ... and Lavins did extend his shoulder upward. He also left his skates slightly, which further is part of the definition of a "reckless" hit in the rulebook.
Lalonde was also racing to a loose puck that was being chipped up the wall. Lavins' intent was to play the body (he did not have his stick in any position to play the puck - his intent was to make a hit).
Even on the broadcast angle - you can clearly see Lalonde's helmet pops up before any other part of his body moves, because his head was the principal point of contact.
So I don't think Lavins intended to Lalonde in the head. I think he intended to deliver a check to his body. However, the upward extension of the shoulder and the fact that his skates came off the ice should have resulted in a major penalty.
What are your thoughts on the Lalonde hit? Clean play with an unfortunate result, or did you think it was worthy of a penalty?
Going to record a reactions video later - but I thought it was a major penalty, but not a dirty hit. I think both things can be true. Any head contact is supposed to be a major, and from the replay angles I saw, I thought the principal point of contact was the head. That said, I also don't think that Lavins targeted the head. However, the responsibility is supposed to be on the player delivering the hit to avoid head contact. So to me, I thought it was a major penalty for contact to the head.
At the very least, it should have been a minor penalty called on the ice. You can't call a minor penalty out of a review. But a minor is called if the official sees the contact to the head as inadvertent contact or situations that otherwise included legal checking tactics.
The other thing is - even though I don't think Lavins targeted the head, he did propel upward finishing the check. His skates came off the ice. That should be considered.
There is another part of the rule that says the hit is reckless if the playing being hit "is about to receive a pass" or or if the player delivering the hit "extends and directs the arm, elbow, forearm, or shoulder to contact the head or neck area" ... and Lavins did extend his shoulder upward. He also left his skates slightly, which further is part of the definition of a "reckless" hit in the rulebook.
Lalonde was also racing to a loose puck that was being chipped up the wall. Lavins' intent was to play the body (he did not have his stick in any position to play the puck - his intent was to make a hit).
Even on the broadcast angle - you can clearly see Lalonde's helmet pops up before any other part of his body moves, because his head was the principal point of contact.
So I don't think Lavins intended to Lalonde in the head. I think he intended to deliver a check to his body. However, the upward extension of the shoulder and the fact that his skates came off the ice should have resulted in a major penalty.
Mike, couldn't Hockey East review it after the fact and he could still incur consequences? Do you think that's a possibility?