Fans unhappy with Hockey Night in Canada panelist Jennifer Botterill after emotional exchange on live TV

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Graham Montgomery
November 3, 2024  (8:25 PM)

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Photo credit: Youtube

Hockey night in Canada host Jennifer Botterill was under fire this weekend after she got into a heated moment with her fellow panelists, discussing a dirty play on Saturday.

The play in question came during the Canadiens-Penguins game. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj deliberatly delivered a knee-on-knee hit to Penguins forward Noel Acciari in the dying seconds of the 3rd period when the result of the game had already been decided. Former NHL player and fellow hockey night in Canada host Kevin Bieksa defended the play, citing Acciari's hit on Former 1st overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky earlier in the game as a good reason for it.

The play Bieksa was referring too came earlier in the third period as both Acciari and Slafkovsky were racing for a loose puck. Acciari won the race, but instead of electing to make a play on the puck, he went for a hit while Slafkovsky was in a vulnerable position, reaching for the puck.

In a somewhat peculiar move, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced no supplementary discipline for Acciari for the hit. Perhaps this is in part due to the fact that Acciari got what was coming to him in the game, when Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj made a dangerous hit on him in return.

Luckily, neither Acciari nor Slafkovsky appeared to be seriously injured by these plays. However, it should be noted that Xhekaj is playing with fire with hits like these. It is clear that he intended to hurt the Penguin and that kind of behavior is not okay, even in situations like this. It would have been far more appropriate for him to simply drop the gloves or make a huge clean hit on him instead. This appears to be why Botterill was so upset by the situation.

Fans largely are on Bieksa's side on this one though. There is certainly some truth to what she is saying, it doesn't always have to be an eye for an eye, but sometimes things are better off left for the players to decide among themselves. Things appeared to work out this time as no one was seriously injured and everyone got to say what was on their mind.

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Previously

EIHL player Cole ​Shudra awaits punishment after losing it on opponent

NHL referees facing significant criticism for blatant wrong call against the Tampa Bay Lightning

Suspended for 13 months: hockey player Nicholas Pezzetta suffers major consequences for actions with referee

POLL
NOVEMBRE 3   |   1264 ANSWERS Fans unhappy with Hockey Night in Canada panelist Jennifer Botterill after emotional exchange on live TV Do you Agree with Kevin Bieksa that Arber Xhekaj's knee-on-knee hit on Noel Acciari was justified?
Yes	757	59.9 %
No	507	40.1 %
LIST OF POLLS

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