Blackhawks' Brett Connolly to have hearing with Department of Player Safety after vicious hit on Stars' Tanner Kero

It was a scary scene in Dallas on Saturday night as forward Tanner Kero had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher early in the first period following a vicious collision along the boards. Kero was unconscious when he left the ice, surrounded by the entire Stars roster, but fortunately the team announced shortly thereafter that he was “conscious, alert and responsive.” Kero was transported to an area hospital for further evaluation and treatment. There has been no further update from the team.

The guilty party in the incident was Blackhawks forward Brett Connolly. The physical winger hit Kero along the boards as the puck was being cleared out of the Stars’ defensive zone. Although the puck was near Kero, he did not have a reasonable opportunity to play it. Connolly’s check was unexpected and blindsided Kero. A video of the incident can be seen here, but note that some readers might find it difficult to watch. Connolly received a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct as a result.

However, that may not be the end of his discipline. The NHL Department of Player Safety has announced that Connolly will face a hearing Sunday to further evaluate the play in question. While Connolly did already serve essentially a full-game suspension, having been handed a game misconduct just a few minutes into the contest, there is reason to believe that an actual suspension could still be coming. The severity of Kero’s injury could be taken into account, but the counterargument is that Connolly has no history with Player Safety. A decision should arrive later Sunday.