Aaron Ekblad puts Evan Bouchard in a dangerous choke hold
Late in the second game of the series, Aaron Ekblad uses a rear naked choke to compel Edmonton Oilers defender Evan Bouchard to tap out.
In the Stanley Cup finals, the Florida Panthers seized a decisive 2-0 series lead last night. Teams who take this lead in the past 90% of the time go on to win the series. As the game progressed, tensions between the two sides increased, which was exemplified by an incident in which Evan Bouchard was placed in a rear naked choke by Panthers defender Aaron Ekblad.
Bouchard was spotted tapping out as Ekblad applied the hold. Ekblad applied the move and did not immediately relinquish the hold. He eventually freed Bouchard without any problems, but as many have pointed out, this was a very risky play.
Fans began to react to this play and how dangerous it was. Former NHL employee Rachel Doerrie had the following to say if the play:
Something could've gone seriously wrong here and there is no argument that it was anything other than an attempt to choke/injure. There's a reason MMA has a ref with eyes on two guys. Chokes can be deadly.
Wtf are you thinking
Wtf are you thinking
Although it's unclear if the NHL Department of Player Safety will examine this play, it's very likely that the organization believes it warrants more punishment. This might very well set the tone for the rest of the series, so it will be interesting to see how the league responds.
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