'Gutless': Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk reacts following biting incident
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk has accused the L.A. Kings' Brendan Lemieux of biting him during a scuffle in Saturday night's game in Los Angeles.
Tkachuk and Lemieux got into a fight in the third period, at which point Tkachuk said Lemieux bit him on the hand. Lemieux was given a match penalty following the incident.
Speaking to the media following the game, Tkachuk could barely contain his contempt.
"I think it is the most gutless thing somebody could ever do," Tkachuk said. "This guy is just—you could ask any of his teammates, nobody wants to play with him—this guy is a bad guy, bad teammate. Guy's a joke. He shouldn't be in the league. The guy's gutless."
The incident began after Tkachuk shoved Blake Lizotte following a whistle with 6:09 left in the third period. Lemieux came in and he and Tkachuk began fighting, eventually falling to the ice with linesmen attempting to pull the two apart. That's when Tkachuk, showing a bleeding hand to officials, said Lemieux bit him.
"I can't really wrap my head around it. Children don't even do this. This guy's just a bad guy and not even a good player, either," Tkachuk told reporters. "It's outrageous."
Kings head coach Todd McLellan addressed the incident after the game.
"First of all, it's wrong, if it did happen. We don't want it to happen," he said. "And two, it’s not a good situation to put the team in, not only tonight but moving forward."
McLellan said Lemieux has become a valuable player and he needs to understand that.
"If we happen to lose him for any period of time, we'll miss him, and he has to understand how valuable he's become."
The NHL's Department of Player Safety said Lemieux has been offered an in-person hearing via Zoom. The date and time has yet to be announced.
The Kings defeated the Senators 4-2 to snap a five-game skid, while handing the Sens their fifth straight loss.
The Senators host the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday at the Canadian Tire Centre.
--With files from TSN 1200 and The Associated Press.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
'It was joy': Trapped B.C. orca calf eats seal meat, putting rescue on hold
A rescue operation for an orca calf trapped in a remote tidal lagoon off Vancouver Island has been put on hold after it started eating seal meat thrown in the water for what is believed to be the first time.
Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
B.C. judge orders shared dog custody for exes who both 'clearly love Stella'
In a first-of-its-kind ruling, a B.C. judge has awarded a former couple joint custody of their dog.
Saskatoon police to search landfill for remains of woman missing since 2020
Saskatoon police say they will begin searching the city’s landfill for the remains of Mackenzie Lee Trottier, who has been missing for more than three years.
Shivering for health: The myths and truths of ice baths explained
In a climate of social media-endorsed wellness rituals, plunging into cold water has promised to aid muscle recovery, enhance mental health and support immune system function. But the evidence of such benefits sits on thin ice, according to researchers.