Ex-Edmonton Oilers Forward May Have Ended His Opponents Career After Dirty Hit

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Skyler Walker
April 30, 2023 (9:09)

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The NHL hockey community is up in arms after a very dangerous hit by Jordan Eberle, now a forward for the Seattle Kraken and formerly of the Edmonton Oilers, against Andrew Cogliano of the Colorado Avalanche.

Eberle's hit was severe and should have resulted in a suspension, but only a two-minute penalty was given at the time. Two days later, it was revealed that Cogliano had fractured his neck on the play and is out indefinitely. This injury could potentially end Cogliano's career as he is 35 years old and will require several months of recovery and surgeries.

Asked NHL Senior VP of Communications John Dellapina (a contact for Department of Player Safety requests) for insights into Jordan Eberle's hit on Andrew Cogliano:

�We don't comment on plays on which we don't assess supplemental discipline.'

"That has been standard policy since the inception of the Dept. Of Player Safety in 2011. We make videos to provide detailed explanations of suspensions." He explained that every hit in every game is reviewed.

When asked if a hit can ever receive supplemental discipline after the initial review once new information comes to light (like an injury in this case):

"Injury only comes into play AFTER a hit has been deemed suspension-worthy on its own."

Fans, players, and analysts alike are expressing their anger towards Eberle for his reckless hit, and many are calling for the NHL to take action and impose a suspension. The safety of players is of the utmost importance in the NHL, and incidents like this highlight the need for stricter enforcement of penalties and rules. It remains to be seen what action, if any, the league will take against Eberle, but we are already 3 days past the hit and nothing has been done, the damage has already been done to Cogliano and his career.