One of the biggest plays in the Stanley Cup Final came early in Game 6 when New Jersey Devils forward Steve Bernier hit Rob Scuderi from behind (as seen above), sending him face-first into the glass.
It resulted in an ejection and a five-minute major penalty for Bernier, which the Kings quickly turned into three goals on their way to a blowout win to clinch their first Stanley Cup.
In case you were still wondering, Bernier won't face any additional discipline from the league next season in the form of a fine or a suspension. I was told the department of player safety deemed the penalty on the ice to be sufficient and there will be no supplemental discipline.
Any suspension obviously would have been enforced next season.
Following the game Bernier said his teammates have been very supportive.
"Everybody in this room has been very nice," said Bernier via the Bergen Record. "They're hockey players. They know it could happen to anybody. I didn't try to do a non-hockey hit. I played the same way for the season, hitting every chance I got, and this time it was a little bad luck."
Bernier is eligible for unrestricted free agency this offseason. A first-round draft pick by the Sharks back in 2003, Bernier appeared in 32 regular-season games for the Devils this year and scored one goal to go with five assists.
He appeared in every playoff game for New Jersey, recording two goals and five assists.
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