Matthew Sekeres slams NHL officiating, Department of Player Saftey after illegal hit on Canucks J.T. Miller

If you missed Thursday night's Vancouver Canucks game, you may have seen the outrage over a hit laid on forward J.T. Miller.

With the clock winding down in the third period, Colorado Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson caught J.T. Miller with an ugly check against the boards.

Fortunately, Miller stayed in the game. However, so did Manson.

Following the Canucks 4-3 loss to the Avalanche, Matthew Sekeres of Sekeres and Price podcast ripped the NHL officiating and Department of Player Safety for fumbling the situation.

"What the hell is going on with NHL officiating and player discipline? I'm astounded on two levels. Number one, that the Josh Manson hit on J.T. Miller could only be a two-minute penalty. Number two, that George Parros and the Department of Player Safety isn't reviewing that hit...he targets the head, and goes deliberately through the head and knocking Miller's head into the glass. To me, there's intent to injure there, it's targetted, it's deliberate, it's avoidable, it checks every freaking box....nice of the one referee to be so polite with Quinn Hughes...that's a game-changing call...Josh Manson shouldn't have been participating from the moment that shoulder hits Miller's head."

Sekeres raises a good point. A two-minute minor for an illegal check to the head seems like it's hardly enough of a punishment if the NHL wants to take protecting it's players seriously.

Manson was later forced to answer the call to 6-foot-6, 248 lb defenseman Nikita Zadorov when he and Manson dropped the mitts and engaged in fisticuffs.

However, after the NHL just suspended New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe for his illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler, this was the perfect opportunity for the DoPS to make a statement and double down on their efforts to protect their players' health by doing their part in eliminating head shots.

Instead,, Manson gets away with the hit unscathed and will dress in Colorado's next tilt on Saturday. Fortunately for the Canucks, Miller is just fine and he'll lace up for the next one as well.