NHL notebook: Leafs' Kadri offered hearing, could be suspended

[April 15, 2019]    Toronto Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri on Sunday was offered an in-person hearing by the NHL Department of Player Safety following a major penalty assessed Saturday in Game 2 of a first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins.

Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri (43) looks on during the warm-up session before a game against the Montreal Canadiens at Bell Centre. Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

That's a signal that Kadri, 28, could be facing a long suspension for cross-checking Boston forward Jake DeBrusk with 5:57 left in the game. According to the NHL.com, the NHL/NHLPA collective bargaining agreement calls for a player to be offered an in-person hearing if he faces a suspension of six games or more.

In 2018, Kadri was suspended three games for boarding Bruins forward Tommy Wingels in Game 1 of a first-round series. A 10-year NHL veteran, all with Toronto, Kadri has been suspended four times in his career.

The Bruins won the game 4-1 to tie the best-of-7 series at 1-1. Game 3 is scheduled for Monday in Toronto.

--Nikita Gusev, the reigning MVP of the Kontinental Hockey League, signed a one-year, entry-level contract with the Vegas Golden Knights and is expected to practice with the team on Monday.

Gusev, 26, has been on the roster of SKA St. Petersburg since the 2015-16 season. He led the league in scoring this season with 82 points (17 goals, 65 assists). He was released from his contract this week after SKA St. Petersburg was eliminated in the KHL conference finals.

The Tampa Bay Lightning drafted him in the seventh round of the 2012 NHL Draft. Vegas acquired his rights in a trade with Tampa Bay during the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft.

--The Colorado Avalanche announced the team has signed 2019 Hobey Baker Award winner Cale Makar to a three-year, entry-level contract.

The 20-year-old defenseman from the University of Massachusetts will join the Avalanche immediately for their first-round playoff series against the Calgary Flames. The series is tied at 1-1 and resumes Monday night in Colorado.

Makar, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, just completed his sophomore season. He helped the Minutemen reach the NCAA Frozen Four title game and became the school's first player to win the Hobey Baker Award, college hockey's top individual prize.

--Field Level Media

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