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The Department of Player Safety allows another blatant hit to the head to go unpunished

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Mike Armenti
December 11, 2021  (12:09)
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A report from The Washington Post's Samantha Pell confirms that Pittburgh Penguins forward Brock McGinn will not face any supplemental discipline from the NHL's Department of Player Safety for a high hit on Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary on Friday.

The play in question occurred at the midway point during the second period when Fehervary was attempting to hold the line in the offensive zone, when McGinn came across and clipped him in the head, sending Fehervary crashing to the ice, where he would remain for a couple of minutes before heading back to the Caps' locker room. You can see the play below.

Fehervary did not return to the game and there was no penalty assessed on the play, despite the fact that there was very clear head contact. The positioning of the officials on the play had a lot to do with that, as they were not in an adequate position to see the play.

When calls are missed on the ice, it is the job of the Department of Player Safety to catch those infractions and enact the appropriate penalty - whether that be a fine or a suspension.

The DoPS continues to be a bit of an enigma, with almost no real consistency in how they handle supplemental discipline. This one seemed like a very easy one to handle, but yet again, Parros and company have missed the mark.