The National Hockey League’s security department announced Sunday that Los Angeles Kings forward Blake Lizotte will have a hearing for cross-checking Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey in the face during the 4- 1 of Saturday.
The incident happened around 5:50 of the second period when Lizotte and Morrissey found themselves at odds in front of the Jets bench. As Morrissey looked eager to drop the gloves, Lizotte cross-checked him to his face. Lizotte was given a 5 minute major and a game misconduct. Morrissey got down and was able to get up on his own and walked down the tunnel to the medical room. Morrissey told reporters that he took seven or eight stitches in his mouth and about 10 outside on his chin where Lizotte checked him. Jets teammate Pierre Luc Dubois called it a « dirty play » while Morrissey had his own comments: « My reaction is that it hurts a lot and I had to get off the ice. It was careless play. J « Thought we were going to go and got a chin recut. It could have been my teeth, so luckily it wasn’t, » Morrissey said.
Jets head coach Rick Bowness also spoke to the media about the hit and shared his thoughts« That’s something the league will definitely look at. It’s an unwarranted cross-check in a guy’s face. The league needs to take a really good look at that one.
Lizotte, 25, has a career-high 10 goals and 20 assists for 30 points and 64 penalty minutes in 72 games this season. He signed a two-year, $3.35 million extension with the Kings last summer, the contract has an average annual value of $1.6 million.
