“As the video shows, Nurse gathers the puck behind the net and skates up ice as Reaves pursues from the netfront on the forecheck. Reaves closes in on Nurse as he rounds the net, and delivers a high, hard check that cuts across the front of Nurse’s body, missing his core and hitting his head, making it the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head.

It is important to note that both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied on this play. First, the head is clearly the main point of contact, as Reaves’ shoulder makes direct, and forceful contact with Nurse’s head, and it is the head that absorbs the vast majority of the force. Second, the head contact on this check is avoidable. Reaves mistimes this play, choosing an angle of approach that cuts across the front of Nurse, missing his core and making his head the main point of contact. And while we understand Nurse is in the process of playing the puck, he does not materially change the position of his head, or body, just prior to contact in a way that contributes to the head being the main point of contact. If Reaves wants to deliver this check, he must take an angle of approach that hits through Nurse’s shoulder and core, rather than one that picks the head, making it the main point of contact.

To summarize: this is an illegal check to the head. Nurse suffered an injury on the play. Reaves has been suspended three times and fined twice during his 893-game NHL career. The department of player safety has suspended Ryan Reaves for five-games.”