Mikhail Sergachev To Have Hearing For Illegal Check To The Head On Mitch Marner

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev will have a hearing with NHL Player Safety for his illegal check to the head on Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner.

Tampa Bay’s Mikhail Sergachev will have a hearing today for an Illegal Check to the Head on Toronto’s Mitchell Marner.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 5, 2021

The play occurred with two minutes left in the first period. After being hooked by Victor Hedman, Marner was in a vulnerable position and lost control of the puck. From here, Sergachev would throw the dirty hit. On the play, Sergachev received only a two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head. Hedman was penalized as well and the Leafs had a five-on-three.

Blatant hits to the head have no place in this game and it's entirely understandable why Sergachev will have a hearing for his. The direct point of contact is clearly Marner's head. Furthermore, with Marner losing the puck before the hit, one could argue it was entirely unnecessary.

We will have to wait and see if an actual suspension occurs. New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban had a hearing earlier this week for his third slew foot of the season, but only received a $15,000 fine. Different scenarios, yes, but the main point is that a hearing doesn't automatically translate to a suspension. However, an in person hearing does.

Do you feel Sergachev is worthy of a suspension for the hit?