Predators’ Zachary L’Heureux to have hearing for tripping, slew-footing Wild’s Jared Spurgeon
A rookie might be missing some time due to a recent incident.
On Wednesday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux will have a hearing for slew-footing Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon.
The date and time of the hearing will be determined at a later date.
The action happened during a contest between the two teams on Tuesday night. Early in the second period, L’Heureux and Spurgeon were battling while chasing a loose puck in the Wild zone when L’Heureux clearly used his left leg to sweep Spurgeon’s feet out from underneath him.
Zach L’Heureux given match penalty for slew foot on Jared Spurgeon. #mnwild #Smashville
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L’Heureux was given a match penalty, while Spurgeon left the game with a lower-body injury and didn’t return.
Minnesota went on to win the game by a final score of 5-3.
L’Heuruex has never received supplemental discipline in the NHL, but that doesn’t mean he’s kept his nose clean in the lower levels. The Montreal native has a checkered past in the American Hockey League and the junior ranks, including being suspended nine times in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. During his time with the Halifax Mooseheads, L’Heureux was handed a 10-game suspension during the 2022-23 season after jamming his stick through the glass to hit a fan.
Last year, during his rookie season with the Predators’ primary affiliate, the Milwaukee Admirals, the 21-year-old was suspended twice but still managed to lead the team in points.
L’Heureux was called up to the NHL in October. Since then, he has appeared in 33 games for Nashville, scoring four goals and five assists for nine points and 32 penalty minutes.
Spurgeon is going to be getting an MRI to see what sort of damage L’Heureux did to him. The 35-year-old has a laundry list of injuries that have plagued him over the past few years. Along with missing seven games this season, the defenseman was held to just 16 games during the 2023-24 campaign. Spurgeon has only played an entire 82-game season once in his 15-year NHL career.
The Predators are scheduled to face the Vancouver Caucks on Friday. The next time they’ll face the Wild will be in Nashville on Jan. 18.