Borowiecki, Oleksiak earn NHL Player Safety hearings after hits (Videos)

We haven’t had a fine or suspension in the NHL since Tom Gilbert’s three-game punishment on Nov. 3. After a busy Saturday, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety may hand out two bans within the next 24 hours.

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First, let’s start in Los Angeles, where Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki earned himself a Sunday hearing after this hit from behind on Kings forward Tyler Toffoli.

Borowiecki was given a major for boarding and added another five for fighting six minutes later when he dropped the gloves with Matt Greene. Toffoli would return to the game.

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On the hit, Borowicki said afterward via Jon Rosen, “I mean, it’s a penalty for sure. I feel bad about putting pressure on the team but if you’re a player that plays on the edge sometimes you’re going to go over it. You know we’re never looking to hurt people but sometimes you play hard and you get a little over-excited and that was the case.”

Next up we have Dallas Stars defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, who went unpenalized for this hit on Chris VandeVelde of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The DOPS announced Saturday night that Oleksiak’s hearing will be for an illegal check to the head.

Both Borowiecki and Oleksiak currently have clean sheets with the DOPS, but that’s likely going to change as both of these hits should earn them something.

As with many suspensions, taking a different angle to their respective hit would have likely resulted in a hearing-free Sunday. Oleksiak could have hit VandeVelde through the body and Borowiecki could have made contact from the side and not from behind along the boards. It’s a fast game and maybe the intent wasn’t there, but they’re still both worthy of some sort of discipline.

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Sean Leahy is the associate editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Sean_Leahy