Golden Knights forward avoids suspension for hit to head

Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar will not face supplemental discipline for his illegal check to the head of Calgary defenseman Christopher Tanev, a person with knowledge of the situation said Friday.

Kolesar caught Tanev on the chin with his right shoulder with 4:30 remaining in the first period Thursday. The hit originally was ruled a five-minute major by game officials, but was reduced to a minor penalty after video review.

The understanding is the NHL’s Department of Player Safety reviewed the play and determined the head was not the main point of contact. Further, the head contact was unavoidable because of the height difference between the players and their body positioning.

Both players are listed as 6 feet, 2 inches tall on the NHL website.

Tanev was shaken up from the hit and returned to the locker room. He had to clear concussion protocol before returning to the game.

The Flames spent the rest of the 6-1 loss chasing Kolesar to make him answer for his hit. Calgary tough guy Milan Lucic tried to fight Kolesar in the second period, which resulted in a Knights power play. Andrew Mangiapane went low on Kolesar behind the play later in the second and was given a clipping penalty.

Kolesar also was targeted in a handful of post-whistle scrums.

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.