It’s not a big surprise, but Andrew Ference will have a hearing by phone with Brendan Shanahan for his reckless hit on New York’s Ryan McDonagh yesterday.
Ference’s phone hearing means that if he’s going to be suspended for the hit he’ll get as many as five games or could wind up just getting fined. Conventional thinking on this play, however, leans toward believing Ference will wind sitting for a couple of games for charging McDonagh from behind in overtime of yesterday’s Rangers 3-2 win over Boston.
Considering the recklessness of the play and the fact that McDonagh was apparently hurt on the play, Ference is likely looking at a short vacation. Ference himself isn’t a guy with a very checkered history which will help him out, but a play like yesterday’s hit will always get you in trouble with the league, especially these days.