Dallas Stars forward Roope Hintz left the ice favoring his right leg after Edmonton Oilers defender Darnell Nurse slashed his left foot on top of his skate during the third period of Game 2 in the Western Conference final, which Edmonton won 3-0 on Friday night.
Hintz fell near the Edmonton goal and immediately grabbed his foot. Officials reviewed the incident and gave Nurse a minor penalty for slashing, deciding against a major penalty.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer did not have an update on Hintz’s injury but questioned the officials’ decision, comparing it to how they might have handled a similar injury if Connor McDavid had been involved.
“Does anyone here think if Connor McDavid gets carried off like that it wouldn’t be a five-minute major?” DeBoer said.
Teammate Mason Marchment expressed that he believed Nurse’s actions showed intent and felt the minor penalty wasn’t enough given Hintz’s importance to the team.
“He’s one of our best players and now he’s done for the game,” Marchment said. “I don’t want to say what should have been called, but that’s not enough.”
When asked about Marchment’s comments, DeBoer reiterated his earlier point about the discrepancy in how such incidents are penalized depending on the player involved.
After the slash, an athletic trainer checked on Hintz, who remained down on the ice for several minutes before being helped off by teammates Mikael Granlund and Lian Bicshel. Hintz avoided putting weight on his left foot as he was assisted to the bench and then left for the locker room.
The Oilers, having evened the series with this win, will host Game 3 on Sunday.
