Bruins' Bartkowski will not face hearing for hit on Sabres' Gionta
Matt Bartkowski shouldn't expect his first NHL suspension under the Christmas tree.
According to a league source, the Boston Bruins defenseman will not face supplemental discipline for a hit on Brian Gionta of the Buffalo Sabres, Amalie Benjamin of the Boston Globe reports.
Bartkowski was assessed a five-minute major penalty for interference and a game misconduct as a result of the hit, which can be seen in the storyline below.
The NHL Department of Player Safety confirmed that Bartkowski wouldn't be assessed any further supplementary discipline, and delved into the reasoning behind that decision on Twitter.
Bartkowski/Gionta is an example of incidental head contact on an otherwise full body check. pic.twitter.com/iCAyDjRwsN
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 22, 2014
The department also pointed out that Bartkowski neither extends upward, nor targets the head.
"The head is not the MAIN point of contact," tweeted the player safety department. "Also, Gionta puts himself in a vulnerable position making contact with his head unavoidable."
The incident can be viewed again here for the court of public opinion to judge.