Tom Wilson was ejected this afternoon after a 5-minute boarding major on Sandis Vilmanis, PuckReportNHL reports, with the Panthers playing at Washington.
The game is still going as this goes up, so how it ends is unknown. What is known is that Wilson's day is finished and Florida has to play on without him.
NHL Review jumped on the call within minutes, warning readers to buckle up for the comments and stressing that boarding doesn't need to come from behind.
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That is the sticking point in almost every argument about this penalty. Plenty of fans hear "boarding" and picture one specific kind of hit, and anything that doesn't match gets labeled a bad call.
The post pushes back on that, and it's right to. The point it makes is that any impact causing a player to strike the boards violently can qualify, no matter how the hit started.
What happens next for Wilson and the Panthers
Whether the league's Department of Player Safety takes a look is not known at this stage. Nothing in the reports so far points either way.
For now, the call stands as the referees made it, and the debate will run all weekend. Florida will want an answer on Wilson's status before its next game.
Quick hits
COLORADO AVALANCHE: Aarif Deen reports Mackenzie Blackwood was the first goalie off the ice this morning, so he appears set to start tonight. That's about as clear a hint as a morning skate gives.
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TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Joe Smith reports Dennis Hildeby, not Andrei Vasilevskiy, will start in Minnesota tonight. Vasilevskiy sitting out is the kind of goalie news that gets noticed right away.
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EDMONTON OILERS: Zach Hyman and Devon Levi were activated from injured reserve, NHL Rosters reported, hours before tonight's game against the Canucks. That's a real boost for the Oilers.
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MINNESOTA WILD: Michael Russo reports the Foligno brothers are likely to return tonight against the Lightning, while Mason Shaw has been assigned to Iowa. The Wild get two veterans back.
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ST. LOUIS BLUES: Lou Korac reports the lineup is set in Nashville tonight, and Mason McTavish is officially in. The Blues have their lines locked in.
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Should any hit that sends a player violently into the boards be called boarding, even if it isn't from behind?
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