Philadelphia Flyers prospect Scott Laughton ejected for blindside hit in OHL game (VIDEO)

At first blush, the Scott Laughton check in an Ontario Hockey League game fits the 'if it walks like a duck' criteria for the blindside hits that are being eliminated from the game.

The Philadelphia Flyers first-round pick received a checking-to-the-head major penalty and game misconduct in the Oshawa Generals' game against the Ottawa 67's on Wednesday. The 67's Daniel Walsh was crouched after taking a shot on net when the backchecking Laughton delivered a check that was at best borderline late and clearly made contact with an opponent's head. That's the type of act OHL commissioner David Branch and vice-president Ted Baker have usually sanction with a suspension in the 10-games range.

(Update, Oct. 26, 4:45 p.m. ET: That is exactly what Laughton received, 10 games. Walsh is also not playing this weekend for Ottawa.)

Playing with some bite to his game is in Laughton's interest as a Flyers prospect — in fact, his dogged forechecking led to the turnover that created Oshawa's third-period tying goal, without which it would not have been able to win 4-3 in a shootout. He's no villain here, just a player who might have crossed the line. (Oshawa, to its credit, killed off the five-minute power play that carried through the remaining part of regulation and first half of overtime before getting the extra point for winning the shootout.)

Zero-tolerance policies on checks to the head are intended to effect change in players' habits, to make them read the play, understand when the opponent is in a vulnerable position where a check could be exceptionally dangerous and hold up. That is a million times easier said than done in a team sport where the game moves at more than a mile a minute, but as the video shows, it looked pretty bad.

(Stick tap: Jérôme Bérubé.)

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet (video: Rogers Television).