Update 12/24: Rinaldo will receive an in-person hearing for this hit. Time and date are to be determined.
Arizona’s Zac Rinaldo has been offered an in-person hearing for a punch to an unsuspecting opponent, Colorado’s Samuel Girard. Date and time TBD.
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) December 24, 2017
Original story:
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety may have work to do over the upcoming holiday break. Arizona Coyotes forward Zac Rinaldo could be sitting for awhile after throwing a nasty, unprompted punch to the face of Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard.
The incident occurred in the middle of the second period, as the two teams congregated to express their displeasure.
Yikes. After already taking out Nathan MacKinnon, Zac Rinaldo with a nasty punch on Samuel Girard pic.twitter.com/FsmZwWKajF
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) December 24, 2017
Moments before the punch on Girard, Rinaldo also roughed up Nathan MacKinnon with a hit at center ice that caused the Avalanche forward to look dazed.
Rinaldo is no stranger to supplemental discipline at all levels of hockey. Two seasons ago, the forward was suspended five games in the NHL then a few days later earned himself a five-game suspension at the AHL level.
Before being tossed from the game, Rinaldo had racked up 6:24 minutes of ice time for the Coyotes.