Montreal Canadiens forward Kirby Dach exited Sunday night’s game against the Anaheim Ducks with an upper-body injury following a hit from Ducks winger Jeffrey Viel.

Incident Details

The incident occurred approximately three minutes into the first period. Viel delivered the hit as Dach swatted at the puck with his arm and missed, leaving him vulnerable. Dach immediately fell to the ice with his face in his gloves before slowly making his way to the bench and then the dressing room.

“Viel caught the unsuspecting Dach in Anaheim’s end three minutes into the first period after the Montreal forward swatted at the puck with his arm but missed.”

ESPN

Officials did not penalize Viel on the play. Following the hit, Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj and forward Josh Anderson confronted Viel, but he declined to engage in a fight.

Recent Controversies

This incident comes just days after another controversial hit involving the Ducks. Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas ended Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews’ season with a knee-on-knee hit.

“Matthews has a torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee. Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected, then suspended five games for kneeing == the maximum the Department of Safety could levy because the hearing was by phone.”

ESPN

FAQ

• What was the nature of Kirby Dach’s injury? An upper-body injury.
• Who delivered the hit? Jeffrey Viel of the Anaheim Ducks.
• Was a penalty assessed on the play? No penalty was assessed.
• What happened after the hit? Canadiens players Arber Xhekaj and Josh Anderson confronted Viel.