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McDavid to have hearing for high hit on Islanders' Leddy

Andy Devlin / National Hockey League / Getty

Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid will have a hearing Friday for his hit to the head of New York Islanders blue-liner Nick Leddy, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced.

McDavid skated into Leddy during the first period of Edmonton's 4-3 overtime victory Thursday, making contact with the defenseman's head just as Leddy released the puck:

McDavid earned a two-minute penalty on the play for an illegal check to the head.

After potting the overtime winner, McDavid didn't shy away from discussing the sequence.

"Obviously, it's not a great check, it's not what I was trying to do," he told reporters after the game, according to TSN. "I was just trying to finish my check on him and he stopped a little earlier than I thought, and maybe I clipped him a little bit too high and that was obviously not the intent at all."

Islanders head coach Barry Trotz confirmed after the game that Leddy had cleared concussion protocol but offered no further comment on the hit, according to Newsday's Andrew Gross.

McDavid has never been suspended in his four-season career. The Oilers' 22-year-old captain has amassed just 88 career penalty minutes to date with no more than 26 in a single campaign.

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