Sabres’ Dell faces hearing for injuring Sens’ Batherson; Tkachuk to replace at All-Star Game
Anthony Scultore
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Buffalo Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell will have a hearing with the league Wednesday following interference on Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson on Tuesday night.
Batherson injured his left ankle on the play, which occurred late in the first period of the Senators’ 5-0 win. He will now miss next week’s NHL All-Star Game, being replaced by Brady Tkachuk.
Tkachuk has 27 points in 33 games this season, second in team scoring to Batherson.
Senators upset with play
Batherson, who scored his 13th goal of the season earlier in the game, was chasing a puck behind the Buffalo net when Dell appeared to shove him feet-first into the boards. He was helped off the ice and did not return.
“Drake looks like he’s gonna be (out) a lot longer,” Senators coach D.J. Smith said after the game. “Kid has a chance to go to his first All-Star game, it’s a bad play by the goalie. He’s done it before. We’ve seen all the replays. Any other player in the game that does that, you know, you have to go out and face the music. Certainly the league will look at whatever. But it’s a bad play.”
Dell, who was not penalized on the play, said he wasn’t trying to injure Batherson.
“I was just trying to buy some time for my defenseman and step into his lane,” Dell said. “I hope he’s all right. I wasn’t trying to hurt anybody. That sucks. I really didn’t want to hurt anybody. I hope he’s all right.”
Batherson, 23, leads the Senators with 34 points (13 goals, 21 assists) through 31 games.
Dell, 32, is 1-8-1 this season with a 4.03 goals-against average and .893 save percentage in 12 appearances.
Tkachuk in first season a team captain
Tkachuk is in his fourth season with the Senators, who selected him No. 4 overall in the 2018 NHL Draft.
Soon after signing a seven-year, $57.5 million contract on Oct. 14, Ottawa named him the team’s 10th captain in franchise history.
“Brady’s ingrained understanding of what it means to be a pro has made him the right choice for the team’s captaincy,” general manager Pierre Dorion said at the time. “He holds a unique skill set and places team success above all else. Admired by teammates and coaches, and respected by opponents, he’s certain to serve as a great ambassador for both our team and for the city of Ottawa.”
Due to Batherson’s injury, Tkachuk was named as his replacement. This will be his second appearance.
The National Hockey League announced today that Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk has been added to the roster for the 2022 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend. Tkachuk, who will be playing in his second career All-Star Game, replaces Senators teammate Drake Batherson on the Atlantic Division roster.
NHL
–Field Level Media contributed to this report