Trash hit from Winnipeg Jets player injures one of the top talents in the NHL; the league needs to do more to protect its stars

During last night's Jets/Wild game in Winnipeg, Jets defenseman Logan Stanley was responsible for injuring Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov as the two battled for the puck in the Jets' defensive zone. It was a garbage play, and while the league still hasn't announced any supplemental discipline for Stanley as of yet, I don't anticipate anything for Stanley, since the NHL doesn't care about protecting its star players.

With Kaprizov attempting to make a play with the puck near the midway point of the third period with the Wild up 3-1, Stanley approached him in an attempt to bump him off the puck. Kaprizov turned to use his body to protect the puck, but after engaging physically and trying to bump him off, putting Kaprizov off-balance, Stanley wrapped his arm around the Wild winger's shoulder and lept off of the ice onto his back, putting his entire 6-foot-7 frame and 230 lbs of weight on an off-balance Kaprizov as he was already falling, with his leg curled underneath him. Kaprizov left the game and did not return.


This was a trash play by a low-key dirty player. The Jets have shown themselves in the past to be a team who does tend to take liberties on guys in vulnerable positions. Pierre-Luc Dubois, Mark Scheifele, Neal Pionk and, now, Stanley have all been guilty of cheap shots and dirty plays causing injury.


The Wild have just 17 games remaining until the playoffs begin. They're currently 2nd in the Central Division standings, but stand no real chance of competing in the playoffs if Kaprizov's injury is significant and forces him out of the lineup for an extended period of time. The hope is that the injury is not a serious one, but nevertheless, the league should absolutely take a look at this one for the simple reason that it's not even a hockey play. This is intent to injure and the Jets need to stop getting away with crap like this.