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  4. title => "Erik Karlsson hit: Sharks D-man to have hearing with NHL Player Safety"
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  6. article_body => "<p>SAN JOSE -- Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson will have a hearing Sunday with the NHL\u2019s department of player safety following his second-period hit that caused Los Angeles Kings winger Austin Wagner to leave Saturday afternoon\u2019s game.<\/p>\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">San Jose\u2019s Erik Karlsson will have a hearing tomorrow for an illegal check to the head on Los Angeles\u2019 Austin Wagner.<\/p>&mdash; NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NHLPlayerSafety\/status\/1076651521209761792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 23, 2018<\/a><\/blockquote>\n<script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n\n<p>With 17:25 remaining in the second period of San Jose\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcsports.com\/bayarea\/sharks\/sharks-takeaways-what-we-learned-overtime-loss-la-kings\" target=\"_blank\">3-2 overtime loss to Los Angeles,<\/a> Wagner received a pass and broke out of his own zone. Karlsson skated across the neutral zone, and leveled the Kings winger.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>https:\/\/twitter.com\/HockeyWebCast\/status\/1076619672211070976\n<p>Wagner appeared woozy while skating to the Los Angeles bench, and left the game with what the Kings termed an \u201cupper-body injury.\u201d In the moment, it appeared Karlsson drove his shoulder through Wagner\u2019s, but replays indicated the Sharks defenseman made contact with Wagner\u2019s head.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>After the game, Karlsson said he hoped Wagner would be able to recover, but he defended the hit as a clean play.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s one of those plays [where] I\u2019m closing [the] gap, and he skates into me,\u201d Karlsson said after the game, and prior to the announcement. \u201cI don\u2019t really lean into him, I\u2019m in his lane, and it\u2019s a shoulder-to-shoulder hit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, he went down hard, and he didn\u2019t come back, and I hope he\u2019s OK. But at the end of the day, it\u2019s a hockey play.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Karlsson wasn\u2019t&nbsp;penalized for an illegal check to the head. Rule 48.1, which covers the penalty, states that a hit \u201cwhere the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable is not permitted.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>During the second intermission of NBCSN\u2019s broadcast of the game, studio analyst Mike Johnson said he didn\u2019t believe&nbsp;Karlsson\u2019s hit was dirty or ill-intentioned. But, he said,&nbsp;he thought the hit would warrant a one- or two-game suspension from the NHL since Karlsson didn\u2019t hit \u201cenough of the body\" of Wagner.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen you come at a guy at that angle, it\u2019s hard to get enough body,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHe just got a little too much arm, and way too much head. So, despite his relatively innocent history in the NHL, I do believe he will be suspended for this -- and I think he should. Probably a game or two, because that\u2019s just a hit you cannot make anymore.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The NHL didn\u2019t&nbsp;immediately announce whether or not Karlsson would have an in-person or a phone hearing. If it\u2019s the latter, Karlsson will be suspended for five games or fewer, or fined upwards of $5,000.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>An in-person hearing seems unlikely, as Karlsson doesn\u2019t have an extensive history of supplemental discipline. He&nbsp;once was&nbsp;fined $2,500 for a slash during the 2011-12 season, and he has never been suspended. Since that suspension occurred over 18 months ago, he will not be considered a repeat offender.<\/p>\n<p>The department will consider Karlsson\u2019s on-ice history, as well as the intention of his hit, Wagner\u2019s injury, \u201cthe situation of the game in which the incident occurred,\u201d and \u201cother factors as may be appropriate,\u201d according to Article 18.2 of the NHL\u2019s collective bargaining agreement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n"
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Sharks

Sharks

SAN JOSE -- Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson will have a hearing Sunday with the NHL’s department of player safety following his second-period hit that caused Los Angeles Kings winger Austin Wagner to leave Saturday afternoon’s game.

With 17:25 remaining in the second period of San Jose’s 3-2 overtime loss to Los Angeles, Wagner received a pass and broke out of his own zone. Karlsson skated across the neutral zone, and leveled the Kings winger. 

https://twitter.com/HockeyWebCast/status/1076619672211070976

Wagner appeared woozy while skating to the Los Angeles bench, and left the game with what the Kings termed an “upper-body injury.” In the moment, it appeared Karlsson drove his shoulder through Wagner’s, but replays indicated the Sharks defenseman made contact with Wagner’s head. 

After the game, Karlsson said he hoped Wagner would be able to recover, but he defended the hit as a clean play. 

“It’s one of those plays [where] I’m closing [the] gap, and he skates into me,” Karlsson said after the game, and prior to the announcement. “I don’t really lean into him, I’m in his lane, and it’s a shoulder-to-shoulder hit. 

“Unfortunately, he went down hard, and he didn’t come back, and I hope he’s OK. But at the end of the day, it’s a hockey play.”

 

Karlsson wasn’t penalized for an illegal check to the head. Rule 48.1, which covers the penalty, states that a hit “where the head was the main point of contact and such contact to the head was avoidable is not permitted.” 

During the second intermission of NBCSN’s broadcast of the game, studio analyst Mike Johnson said he didn’t believe Karlsson’s hit was dirty or ill-intentioned. But, he said, he thought the hit would warrant a one- or two-game suspension from the NHL since Karlsson didn’t hit “enough of the body" of Wagner.

“When you come at a guy at that angle, it’s hard to get enough body,” Johnson said. “He just got a little too much arm, and way too much head. So, despite his relatively innocent history in the NHL, I do believe he will be suspended for this -- and I think he should. Probably a game or two, because that’s just a hit you cannot make anymore.” 

The NHL didn’t immediately announce whether or not Karlsson would have an in-person or a phone hearing. If it’s the latter, Karlsson will be suspended for five games or fewer, or fined upwards of $5,000. 

An in-person hearing seems unlikely, as Karlsson doesn’t have an extensive history of supplemental discipline. He once was fined $2,500 for a slash during the 2011-12 season, and he has never been suspended. Since that suspension occurred over 18 months ago, he will not be considered a repeat offender.

The department will consider Karlsson’s on-ice history, as well as the intention of his hit, Wagner’s injury, “the situation of the game in which the incident occurred,” and “other factors as may be appropriate,” according to Article 18.2 of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement.