Buffalo Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell will have a hearing Wednesday to answer for his hit that injured Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson on Tuesday night.
Dell sent Batherson crashing into the boards with a lowered shoulder during the first period of Tuesday's contest.
Drake Batherson was forced to leave the game after being hit by Aaron Dell. pic.twitter.com/t6T66c6gdJ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 26, 2022
Batherson will be out long term with an ankle injury and miss the upcoming All-Star Game, Senators head coach D.J. Smith said postgame Tuesday, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. The winger reportedly has a high ankle sprain, and the team won't have a clear timeline for him until the swelling comes down.
Smith called the play "ridiculous" postgame and pointed out that Dell has a history of doing what he did to Batherson. Meanwhile, Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk was pretty straightforward with his thoughts on the hit.
"Quite frankly, it's a bullshit play," Tkachuk said, according to Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas. "It sucks."
Batherson leads the Senators with 34 points over 31 contests this season, including 13 goals.
