Quote:
Originally Posted by IamNotKenKing
Then that would not be interference, or is there a level of how much he has to have touched the puck before he's allowed to be hit?
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He has to be in possession, which the NHL defines as the last player to touch the puck without clarification as to whether the player has to be in control of the puck, so I suppose there's some argument there.
I guess if it's not a penalty, can you still say it's not a dirty hit? Is dirty and clean and difference of an almost incidental contact with the puck? Orpik was going to destroy Loui whether he touched the puck or not, there was less than a half second between the puck clipping his stick and Orpik nailing him.
IMO? Dirty hit. But I suppose if having the puck glance off your stick counts as possession then it's just my opinion. Neal, Orpik, Thorton, they all went a little far for my taste. Nobody here can tell me that Loui should have had his "head up" when he was turned looking back at the puck and attempting swipe at it. It's not on him. If he actually had control of the puck, sure, but not when the puck is sliding past him.