2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup: London Knights’ Mark Hunter calls ‘predatory hit’ accusation ‘comical,’ decide for yourself (VIDEO)

SHAWINIGAN, Que. — Why yes, Mark Hunter actually invoked one of his former OHL archrivals to defend his player from a head-shot accusation.

A major post-game talking point following the London Knights' 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings at the MasterCard Memorial Cup was the questionable hit by Knights centre Vladislav Namestnikov on Klarc Wilson in the first period that ripped the visor off the right wing's helmet.

(Update: the CHL has confirmed no suspension for Namestnikov.)

The two were on a collision course in the neutral zone when Wilson leaned to reach for the puck before London's Brett Cook swept in. A split-second later, Namestnikov hammered Wilson with what the Oil Kings called a "predatory hit" and what the Knights viewed as a shoulder-to-shoulder blow even though part of the player's headgear was spinning on the ice. No penalty was called by the referees, the OHL's Sean Reid and WHL's Pat Smith.

"We reviewed it after the first period," said Oil Kings coach Derek Laxdal, whose press conference preceded Hunter's. "I'm not sure why it wasn't called. It was a predatory hit to the head while our player was leaning for the puck and I'm not sure why it wasn't called so I can't comment too much on that. But I would expect it to be reviewed by the [Memorial Cup disciplinary] committee. But that's up to them. When a player's reaching for the puck, leaning and another player lunges for him, it's a little bit like… who's the kid from Phoenix, Raffi Torres. It was the same kind of predatory hit. It's out of my hands. I can't make those calls."

That prompted Hunter to allude to what DeBoer said in response to some rhetoric from John Tortorella in the New Jersey Devils-New York Rangers. To anyone versed in the OHL, that was hilarious since DeBoer, Mark Hunter and Dale Hunter were bitter rivals when the former was the coach and GM of the Kitchener Rangers a few years ago.

"I'll give the Pete DeBoer line — I think it's comical," the Knights coach-GM said after he was told of about Laxdal's take. "Because it's… Vladdy's never had a suspension before. He's never done anything even close to putting somebody in a position to hurt somebody. What I see is that it was shoulder-to-shoulder. At the end of the day it was a clean hit to me."

Via Sportsnet, here is the play. It's tough to tell if Klarc Wilson's was targeted but Namestnikov left his feet and there appeared to be contact with the head.

"I saw the replay," Namestnikov told Sportsnet's Patrick King. "I don't think it was a dirty hit at all."

Namestnikov is a skill player, a 6-foot, 175-pound centre who was taken late in the first round of the NHL draft last summer by the Tampa Bay Lightning. He had more points (71) than penalty minutes (50) during the regular season, which hardly screams "headhunter." Wilson is actually a grinder, a 6-foot, 201-pound fourth-liner who had 25 points and 109 penalty minutes during the regular season. This does go to show, though, that a player's image or reputation doesn't wholly exonerate him when there's a question about a borderline hit. The video evidence should always count for more.

With no penalty call and no injury to Wilson, who returned to the game, it's doubtful the tournament committee would see fit to suspend Namestnikov. Saint John captain Jonathan Huberdeau got away without supplemental discipline for an elbow to the head of London's Matt Rupert earlier in the tournament.

Wilson had a rough night all-around. He also suffered broken teeth after being slashed by London's Seth Griffith.

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.