Brenden Dillon is already a hockey villain to Minnesota Wild fans and you can bet that Pittsburgh Penguins fans feel the same way after Dillon was involved in a questionable play that left a player injured Tuesday night.
Dillon, as Wild fans will recall, is the Winnipeg Jets player who cross-checked Kirill Kaprizov in the back multiple times in a Dec. 30 game, leaving Kaprizov with an injury that caused him to miss seven games with reported broken ribs.
On Tuesday night, in Winnipeg’s 3-0 loss to the Penguins, Dillon received a match penalty and was ejected from the game for an illegal hit to the head of Pittsburgh’s Noel Acciari.
The brutal hit happened along the boards near center ice, with Dillon appearing to raise his left shoulder into Acciari’s head. Officials reviewed the hit and determined there was enough malice to eject him.
The ferocious blow sent Acciari’s helmet flying through the air.
Brenden Dillon is assessed a match penalty for an illegal check to the head on Noel Acciari and is done for the night.
Acciari skated off with help from teammates and headed to the Penguins' locker room to get checked. pic.twitter.com/Z7aBfUji3k
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 7, 2024
Consider Wild television play-by-play announcer Anthony LaPanta among those who were not surprised Dillon was involved in a questionable play.
“Shocking to see Brenden Dillon escorted from the ice after a match penalty for a cheap hit. Shocking,” LaPanta wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
Shocking to see Brenden Dillon escorted from the ice after a match penalty for a cheap hit.
Shocking.
— Anthony LaPanta (@AnthonyLaPanta) February 7, 2024
Mike McIntyre, who covers the Jets for the Winnipeg Free Press, believes there is a “good chance” that the NHL’s Department of Player Safety suspends Dillon for the penalty.
