Jets’ Mark Scheifele suspended 4 games after hit on Jake Evans

Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele has been suspended for four games after his charge on Montreal Canadiens forward Jake Evans during Game 1 of their second-round series Wednesday.

With less than a minute left to go in the third period, Evans was turning the corner and tucked the puck into the empty net for a 5-3 lead, before Scheifele checked him in a defenseless position. Scheifele was assessed a five-minute major for charging, and a game misconduct.

Evans, who just came off an injury at the end of the Leafs-Canadiens series, was stretchered off the ice, and it was later announced that he had a concussion.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety said the check was done “violently and with unwarranted force”, and labelled Scheifele’s act as charging in their ruling.

The department defines charging as, “…the actions of a player who, as a result of distance travelled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner.”

Several Canadiens players were vocally outraged about Scheifele's hit on Evans.

"It was a dirty hit, but the league's going to take care of it. If he gets back in the series, we're going to make life miserable for him," Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson said of Scheifele, via Sportsnet's Eric Engels.

Considering that Scheifele committed a charge that ended in an injury, but also did not have any past history of player safety violations, he was dealt a four-game suspension.

Game 2 of the series will be played Friday night in Winnipeg.

More from Yahoo Sports