Kraken Coach Backs Ottavainen's Punches as Suspension Looms
Seattle defenseman Ville Ottavainen threw three punches at Calgary's Brennan Othmann after a hit, drawing a game misconduct and 17 penalty minutes. Kraken coach Lane Lambert defended the actions, citing a prior high hit by Othmann that led to a game misconduct. The incident could prompt a review by the NHL's Player Safety department.
The sequence unfolded with 12:38 left in the second period of Seattle's 4-3 shootout win, when Ottavainen grabbed Othmann by the throat after a corner collision, pulled him to the ice, and landed three right hands before teammates intervened. Officials assessed 15 penalties and four fighting majors across roughly four minutes of game time, with Ottavainen receiving 17 minutes and Othmann drawing a charging minor plus a 10-minute misconduct.
The dispute traces to a game four days earlier at Calgary's Saddledome, where Othmann drove Ottavainen's head into the glass, earning a five-minute major and game misconduct. Lambert referenced that play repeatedly in defending his player, while Flames assistant coach Dave Lowry characterized the hits as clean hockey plays requiring players to stand up for themselves. The NHL has not announced a hearing, though the league's Player Safety department may review the footage.
This incident could sharpen the ongoing debate between hockey's traditional code of retaliation and modern player-safety standards. If the NHL issues a suspension, it may reinforce that punching a defenseless opponent carries consequences regardless of prior provocation. Coaches publicly endorsing vigilante-style responses could influence younger players' perceptions of acceptable conduct, while fans may see the league's disciplinary response as a measure of how seriously it treats head-targeted violence. The outcome could also affect how teams approach preseason physicality.