Discipline Coming for Timo Meier? Devils Head Coach Criticizes Crucial Penalty

Timo Meier owes the New Jersey Devils penalty killers a steak dinner. In the heat of the moment against the Nashville Predators, the Devils star forward was thrown out of Monday night’s contest at the 12:17 mark of the third period. He left his teammates with a five-minute major penalty to kill off while holding a two goal lead.

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Tensions between the Devils and Predators began to rise in the second period after Jeremy Lauzon dumped Nico Hischier to the ice in a battle for net-front presence. Hischier responded by registering his second of three goals on Monday. From there, no matter if it was during play or between the whistles, the chippy play ensued.

Then at the 12:17 mark, after the Devils were swarming in pursuit of their fifth goal, Zachary L’Heureux took exception with Meier playing as close to Predators goaltender Scott Wedgewood as he was, after a series of previous physical incidents.

A few pushes and shoves resulted in Meier cross-checking L’Heureux in the face. The Predators forward ultimately left the game with injury, and Meier was assessed a five-minute major and was tossed from the contest with a game misconduct.

Was that enough of a punishment, however?

Recent history suggests it very well may not be. In Game 3 of the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Carson Soucy cross-checked Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid in the face during the third period, in which Edmonton trailed 4-3.

Soucy received a one-game suspension after he argued that although he did catch McDavid in the face, former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov’s contact with McDavid changed the course of his direction.

Soucy still received disciplinary action.

That was not the case between Meier and L’Heureux. Meier’s infraction was simply a bad choice in the heat of the moment, but certainly under his own accord. Based on history, perhaps there is harsher discipline coming to the Devils forward.

In December 2023, David Perron’s wires crossed when he saw Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin down on the ice. He approached Artem Zub and forcefully cross-checked him in the face while defenseless, receiving a match penalty and, later, a six-game suspension.

L’Heureux wasn’t defenseless like Zub. Again, both parties were engaged in the physical altercation. However, Meier took it a step too far, which caused him to be ejected.

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The NHL Department of Player safety very well could, in fact, call. They’ve been taking any and all contact to the head seriously, and it’s not unreasonable to think Meier could be looking at discipline somewhere in between Soucy and Perron’s verdicts.

Regardless, head coach Sheldon Keefe—although understanding the heat of the moment—wants to see Meier practice better discipline at a crucial point of a game such as the two-goal lead the Devils held with eight minutes left in the third period.

“Yeah, you got to show some restraint. I mean, he thinks he’s in a physical confrontation there. And if the other guy gets his hands up, it probably is different. There’s no intent there, from Timo. He’s in a battle and competing in that spot,” Keefe explained.

“But, yeah, you gotta show a little more restraint and control, for sure. And that’s in any time of the game, but certainly in the third period, when it’s a two goal game like that.”

Time will tell, but we could know the verdict on a potential Meier suspension sooner than later.

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