Flyers’ Brayden Schenn gets disciplinary hearing for hit vs. NJ Devils; first Shanaban of 2013?

Brendan Shanahan had already suspended 9 players by the time the first game of the 2011-12 regular season was played, as he sought to make an early statement as the new NHL vice president of player safety. It was like being a recently incarcerated prisoner; only instead of beating up the biggest guy in the yard on Day 1, you’re suspending James Wisniewski for 12 games ...

The lockout eliminated exhibition games from the 2013 schedule, leaving us to wonder when we’d see the first NHL hearing on an illegal play. Especially with Raffi Torres already suspended.

Wonder no more: Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reports that the first supplemental discipline hearing of the season will occur Wednesday afternoon for this Brayden Schenn hit on Anton Volchenkov of the New Jersey Devils, in the second period of the Philadelphia Flyers’ 3-0 loss in Jersey:

Is this our first Shanaban of the season?

As the video shows, Schenn comes off the bench, skates directly towards Volchenkov and hits him right after the Devils defenseman releases the puck. He leaps into the hit, but it’s hard to tell exactly where the principle point of contact is. As a refresher, the NHL really doesn’t like it when that contact is with the head.

There was no penalty on the play, and Volchenkov finished the game for the Devils.

It doesn’t seem like a suspendable offense, although it’d be interesting to see if Shanahan and his Scoobie Gang find anything that led up to this hit, because Schenn was skating with some purpose here.

If it’s a fine, please recall the new CBA has altered those rules for the better, by which we mean the days of $2,500 pocket-change fines are over. From the CBA:

Permissible fines for on-ice infractions increased to an amount up to 50 percent of the Player’s Paragraph 1 NHL Salary and Bonuses (not including Performance Bonuses) divided by the number of days in the Regular Season and may not exceed $10,000 on a first-time basis, and $15,000 on a second and subsequent time basis (determined in accordance with a rolling 12-month period). All fines above $5,000 are subject to the hearing procedure accorded to Players subject to suspension not exceeding five (5) Games.

Schenn has a hearing, so perhaps it’ll be a hefty fine so the NHL can let the players know that, hey, we can give you hefty fines now.