Ottawa Senators forward Chris Neil won't face any further discipline for his hit on Brian Boyle of the New York Rangers.
While NHL VP of safety Brendan Shanahan reviewed the hit, he didn't feel any need to throw the book at Neil despite New York coach John Tortorella's insistence it was dirty.
Shanahan decided there was no further action necessary. Neil told reporters afterwards "it was a clean hit."
Since Boyle is out with a concussion and won't play Game 6 Monday, Tortorella wanted Neil suspended.
Tortorella said it was the "exact same thing" as the hit Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres put on Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa last week. Torres was suspended 25 games by the league Saturday and Hossa is out with an undisclosed injury.
"They have a blueprint. Not a lot of research to do there," fumed Tortorella.
He called it a "dangerous, dangerous, cheap hit."
Neil said he caught Boyle with his "head down". Unlike Torres, Neil has no past history and has only been fined once in his career for an incident with Darcy Tucker in 2000.
