Maple Leafs Raise Concerns Over Zadorov’s Hit on Laughton
Toronto Maple Leafs’ centre Scott Laughton left Saturday night’s game early after absorbing a hard hit from Boston Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov in the second period. The Bruins secured a 5-3 victory over the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.
Coach Craig Berube Comments on the Controversial Hit
“I thought it was a head shot. I gotta take a closer look at it.” — Craig Berube, Bruins coach
Berube expressed concern about the hit's nature following the game. Laughton is confirmed to miss Sunday’s matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes, though Berube is uncertain about his return timeline.
Reactions from Maple Leafs Players
- Bobby McMann confronted Zadorov immediately after the hit. McMann said, “I didn’t really see the whole thing. Just kind of caught it out of the corner of my eye. Didn’t really love the hit from what I saw and wanted to make sure he knew I didn’t like it.”
- Centre John Tavares added, “I didn’t see it, to be honest, super clean. But don’t like anything high that’s for sure, and I know our bench didn’t like it. Not an easy thing by Bobby to get in there and step up for Laughty, so that was a hell of a job by him.”
Background on Laughton’s Condition
Laughton, who had suffered a lower-body injury during training camp, had just returned to play his first regular-season game on Wednesday before the injury sustained from Zadorov's hit.
“Nikita Zadorov, my GOODNESS 😱 Zadorov with a HIT STICK on Scott Laughton 🥊” — fan reaction on social media
Summary: Scott Laughton’s injury following a high-impact hit by Nikita Zadorov has sparked clear concern from the Maple Leafs players and coaching staff, highlighting physicality and player safety tensions in the game.