Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane suspended one game for boarding Colorado Avalanche’s Nazem Kadri

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that they’ve suspended Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane one game for boarding Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri.

The NHL DoPS announced earlier on Sunday that Kane was to have a hearing about the incident, and this is the result of that hearing. The DoPS determined that Kadri did not put himself in a vulnerable position intentionally, and any movement made to shield Kane from the puck did not effect Kane’s ability to prevent the collision. They also determined that Kadri losing his footing was due to the shove from Kane, and is what lead to the rough nature of the hit. Kadri’s injury on the play and Kane’s history of fines and suspensions also played a big role in the decision on the suspension.

It’s a big blow to the Oilers lineup, as Kane has played a huge role in the team’s run to the Western Conference Finals. In 15 playoff games, he has 13 goals and 17 points for the Oilers, more than doubling his previous totals of six goals and 13 points in 29 career games across two playoff runs with the San Jose Sharks.

The Oilers will look to stave off elimination without him, as they are currently down 3-0 in their series with the Avalanche. They might also miss several other players, as Darnell Nurse, Leon Draisaitl, Kailer Yamamoto, and Mike Smith were all missing from the Oilers skate on Sunday. While some players might be opting for rest before an important game, Yamamoto missed Game 3, and Draisaitl left Game 3 early.