Chicago Blackhawks forward Brett Connolly served his four-game suspension for his illegal hit on Dallas Stars forward Tanner Kero last month, but he wanted to make sure there was no residual ill will.
“I was happy when I reached out to him that he was doing OK,” Connolly said Saturday before the Hawks faced the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. “It was nice to have fluid conversations with him just to tell him I honestly did not mean to do that.
“The only thing that matters is he’s OK. I’m moving on and I’m just happy to be back in the lineup.”
The collision happened during the Hawks’ 4-3 loss to the Stars on Dec. 18 at American Airlines Center.
Kero was skating out of his zone but didn’t seem to see the hit coming, and it appeared Connolly tried to pull up just before contact. Kero lay still on the ice before being wheeled off a stretcher and taken to the hospital.
“I was as shocked as anyone when it happened,” Connolly, 29, said. “It was not an enjoyable experience for anyone to see that. Just happy that he’s OK and that he’s going to … make a full recovery.”
Kero hasn’t played since that game.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety suspended Connolly for interference — ruling that he had sufficient time to avoid the hit — and fined him $70,000.
Connolly said he “shot a ton of pucks” and did conditioning work during the suspension.
“With the (COVID-19) postponements, the four games seemed like it never was going to end,” he said. “But I had some time to settle down and work on a few things and really get ready for the next game.
“We’ll see when that is, but mentally being ready to go, knowing I had a little time to get ready for this moment.”
Coach Derek King expressed some concern about Connolly’s mindset, cognizant that the winger might be gun-shy about contact, at least at first, and he’ll be watching for it.
“I’m sure it’s on his mind,” King said. “But the big thing with him is he’s not like that. I know him as a person, know him as a player, too, and that’s just not him.
“What happened was just, I don’t know, bad timing, bad accident. So I’m not worried about him looking to go run somebody over again with their head down.”
That tentativeness likely has been a factor with Jujhar Khaira since his return Jan. 1, only in this case he was the player who was concussed.
On Dec. 7, New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba leveled Khaira when Khaira’s head was down, and Khaira fell backward and hit his head on the ice. Khaira was stretchered off and hospitalized for a night.
He has played four games since then entering Saturday.
King said Khaira has had to steadily regain confidence, taking and dishing out hits.
“I think the hesitation was there, a little timid, not sure, which is understandable,” King said. “But I think he’s getting little more comfortable as we go.
“His legs are coming back, and that’s going to help the process because he’s moving his feet and he’s skating better. He’s not putting himself in a bad position.”
