Moncton Wildcats’ Dmitrij Jaskin gets match penalty for headshot ahead of rematch vs. Mooseheads

Moncton Wildcats star Dmitrij Jaskin finds himself in hot water after a checking-to-the-head penalty he took against the Rimouski Océanic on Monday. It could make him ineligible for a rematch against the Canadian Hockey League’s No. 1 team, the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Wildcats forward took the penalty late in the second period, nailing Océanic defenceman Ryan MacKinnon with direct contact to the noggin from a blindside angle.

MacKinnon went to play the puck in the corner, and Jaskin went to check him, looking at his numbers and left shoulder. On impact, Jaskin hit the head and shoulder from the back left side, catching mostly head on impact, crumpling MacKinnon to the ice as the Océanic gathered around Jaskin trying to get their pound of flesh.

The hit prompted a five-minute major, a match penalty and a phone call from Raymond Bolduc, the QMJHL’s disciplinary head. As per QMJHL rules regarding match penalties, Jaskin, a St. Louis Blues second rounder in 2011, is suspended until the commissioner can review the play and allow him to play again.

That could have major implications down the road, where the Wildcats play the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday and then a rematch against the Mooseheads in Halifax on Saturday. Jaskin, who dominated the last game against the Mooseheads with a hat trick, would be a huge hole in the lineup for the Wildcats to fill.

Jaskin was penalized twice in the frame before the hit, including a two-minute charging call. He usually plays with an edge and can cross the line at times. He was steaming mad, and the flow of the game had escalated to the point where big hits and dirty play was commonplace.

MacKinnon returned to the game. Rimouski won the contest 2-0.

Both coaches were reserved and watching their comments after the game.

“It was a dangerous hit, but it’s the game of hockey and that happens,” Rimouski coach Serge Beausoleil said. “It was a game with a lot of emotion, and a tough game to play.”

Beausoleil added that MacKinnon wasn’t the same after he returned, but he didn’t expect him to miss any times from what he called "headaches."

Wildcats coach Danny Flinn wouldn’t comment on the hit until reviewing it on tape.

“I haven’t seen the video, so I won’t comment on the hit,” Flynn said.

Jaskin sits in fourth place in QMJHL scoring with 81 points, including 39 goals, in 43 games. The suspension ends his 15-game points scoring streak. He had six points in six games for the Czech Republic at the 2013 world junior championship in Ufa, Russia.