Let me lead with saying Ouch!
Top NHL draft pick Nail Yakupov of the Sarnia Sting took a major elbow to the head by Owen Sound Attack Captain Mike Halmo. Halmo was addressed a five-minute major and a game misconduct. Word is NHL league disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan may make a guest appaearance to deliver a suspension.
The 18 year-old winger has 69 points in only 42 games played. Thirty-one goals and thirty-eight assists as well as a plus fifteen rating, Yakupov is averaging 1.64 points per game. Still not Sidney Crosby like numbers, but still very respectable and top end talent. Right now the Sting are in 4th place within the Western Conference while the Owen Sound are in 5th spot within the same conference. Only three games remain in the season and most likely the two team will face each other in the first round, expect one heck of a series.
The hit will be highly contested. On one end it is a clear elbow to the head and the blame is on Halmo; on the other end Yakupov dropped his head coming into the center, clearly opening himself up to a vulnerable and dangerous situation. The end result, a top-end player out for the remainder of the 4-0 Sarnia win and a Captain awaiting any potential suspension. The video is below. Let us know your thoughts.
