I talked about this last night, and this morning, I found a video clip of what happened after A.J. Spellacy laid the boom down on Lucas Raymond via a dangerous clipping play at the Red Wings’ blueline, and Dylan Larkin took the number of the bus that his his teammate, and retaliated in kind.
Per The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus and Scott Powers, this is the play that I believe will be reviewed by the NHL:
AJ Spellacy (79) flying around for the Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/MWV0bpi1ui
— Scott Powers (@ByScottPowers) September 26, 2024
AJ Spellacy didn’t waste any time getting into the spirit of what once was hockey’s greatest rivalry. Late in the first period, he delivered a big hit to Lucas Raymond in the offensive zone. Moments later, after he had darted back into the Red Wings’ end, he stumbled a bit and ended up taking a Dylan Larkin forearm shiver to the face, prompting the first skirmish of the preseason. Spellacy popped right up and jumped into the fray, shoving Detroit’s Albert Johansson in the face a couple of times. While most of the players were shaking off the rust and easing into the preseason, Spellacy was running around like it was Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. That’ll happen when you’re 18 and wearing an NHL jersey in an NHL rink for the first time.
We’ll see what happens in terms of George Parros and the Department of Player Safety over the next 48 hours. Spellacy’s clipping play is clearly dangerous, and Larkin’s “interference” penalty is dangerous as well.
