Maple Leafs' Spezza Offered In-Person Hearing for Knee on Jets' Pionk

Toronto Maple Leafs veteran forward Jason Spezza has been offered an in-person hearing by the NHL's Department of Player Safety for his knee to the head of Jets defenseman Neal Pionk.

Toronto’s Jason Spezza has been offered an in-person hearing via Zoom for Kneeing Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk. Date and time TBD.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 6, 2021

LRT: Never thought we'd see the day where Jason Spezza gets a five-game suspension for anything, but it's on the table now with an in-person hearing scheduled.
— Eric Engels (@EricEngels) December 6, 2021

The play happened during a wild third period in Winnipeg, one which Auston Matthews called a complete gong show that wasn't hockey. Pionk delivered an ugly knee-on-knee to Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin and Spezza among others on the Leafs bench went absolutely nuts.

Leafs bench reaction to the Sandin hit

Spezza is livid pic.twitter.com/YzgA4lBMiU
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) December 6, 2021

Sure enough, not long after Spezza delivers a nasty knee to the head of Pionk as he was falling down which looked awfully similar to the knee to the head John Tavares took last postseason. Luckily for everyone involved the result was no where near and Pionk finished the game.

You be the judge, does this warrant a five-game suspension for a first-time offender?