Harry How
The Vancouver Canucks are down another body, but their opponents in the Stanley Cup final won't be for Wednesday's Game 7.
The NHL's acting disciplinarian, Mike Murphy, confirmed Tuesday that Boston Bruins defenceman Johnny Boychuk will not be suspended for his hit on Canucks winger Mason Raymond in the opening seconds of Monday's Game 6.
According to Canucks GM Mike Gillis, Raymond "sustained a vertebrae compression fracture" on the play and is expected to miss three to four months.
Murphy said via email that the league's hockey operations department reviewed the play but deemed it an "awkward collision" and not worthy of a suspension.
"[It was an]awkward collision between two players battling for space/room," Murphy wrote. "[You]rarely see a player bumped when in the position Raymond was in (bent over forward)."
Asked about the review process, Murphy said the league reviews "all plays, especially when there is an injury."
TSN reported Monday night that the Canucks were livid there was no penalty called on the hit.
The NHL's discipline process has become a major focal point in this series after Canucks defenceman Aaron Rome was suspended for four games for what Murphy termed "a late hit" on Bruins forward Nathan Horton in Game 3.
Horton hasn't returned to the series after suffering a concussion on the play.