WASHINGTON — Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux, who has a long rap sheet in two previous hockey leagues, is facing his first NHL suspension after a tripping/slew-footing penalty that injured Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon on Tuesday.
The league announced Wednesday that L’Heureux has been summoned to a phone hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. That means he’s looking at a suspension of five or fewer games.
Even though he is not deemed a “repeat offender” by the NHL, at only 21 years old, L’Heureux has previously been suspended 11 times — nine times in the Quebec League and twice in the AHL.
L’Heureux, the NHL’s rookie leader with 106 hits, was assessed a match penalty for taking his left leg, sticking it behind both of Spurgeon’s legs and sweeping Spurgeon’s legs out from under him. Spurgeon’s right leg slammed directly into the end boards. After several moments on the ice, he was helped off and down the tunnel, unable to put any weight on his leg.
Zach L’Heureux given a match penalty after slewfooting Wild captain Jared Spurgeon. Shades of his past life in junior coming out tonight. pic.twitter.com/7MmjWWKh1B
— Nick Kieser🏒 (@KieserNick) January 1, 2025
Wild coach John Hynes called it a “cheap hit,” and defenseman Declan Chisholm called it a “pretty dirty play.” President of hockey operations and general manager Bill Guerin was so furious, he considered meeting with the media after the game.
The infraction effectively turned the game. The Wild scored the first of their three power-play goals on the ensuing major penalty.
But whatever length of suspension L’Heureux receives will do no good to the Wild, who will be without one of their most important defensemen indefinitely. A team source says he will undergo an MRI exam on Thursday.
After the game, Spurgeon was seen on crutches leaving Xcel Energy Center with a large brace/boot over his right leg.
Spurgeon’s injury piles on for a Wild team already reeling with injuries, including defenseman Jake Middleton (hand surgery), who is expected to be out several more weeks even though he’s eligible to come off long-term injured reserve as early as Jan. 7.
Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) has missed the past three games and hasn’t skated since the league’s holiday break, according to Hynes. Kaprizov was placed on injured reserve Wednesday retroactive to Dec. 23 and, according to a team source, isn’t on the Wild’s two-game road trip that begins Thursday in Washington.
Forward Jakub Lauko is also on injured reserve.
An extended absence by Spurgeon would be a significant blow. He’s the team’s most experienced right-shot defenseman, a top penalty killer and a key voice in the dressing room. Spurgeon’s 2023-24 season ended after just 16 games due to hip and back injuries that required surgeries, and the Wild struggled out of the gate and missed the playoffs. He and Jonas Brodin have been one of the league’s most reliable combos this season.
“He leads by example on the ice,” Chisholm said. “And he’s very vocal on the bench and in the room. Anytime our team is veering off the gameplan, he’s here to call us out. It’s always in a positive way. Definitely going to be missed. Some guys have to step up now.”
Hynes will have to do some shuffling on the blue line.
David Jiricek, the right-shot prospect who was acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets in late November, is expected to get his shot. Jiricek, the No. 6 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, has played nine games for AHL Iowa and picked up his first goal Tuesday night.
Lasered🎯#ItStartsInDSM pic.twitter.com/aEkXa3wmc5
— Iowa Wild (@IAWild) January 1, 2025
Jiricek has been playing a lot of minutes for Iowa to get comfortable with the systems. He played only 10 combined games for Columbus and its AHL affiliate this season before getting dealt with a 2025 fifth-rounder for Daemon Hunt, a 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected), a 2027 second-round pick, a 2026 third-round pick and a 2026 fourth-round pick.
The Wild staff has liked how competitive and coachable Jiricek is. And there’s the heavy shot, too. If Jiricek is recalled Wednesday, the Wild will give a preview of where he fits in the lineup at Thursday’s morning skate in Washington.
He could slide into Spurgeon’s spot next to Chisholm, or Hynes could split his top pair of Brodin and Brock Faber. The Wild also have left-shot Travis Dermott on the roster, and he can play the right side.
(Photo: Nick Wosika / Getty Images)
