Aube-Kubel ejected for blatant hit to the head of Foote, brawl ensues!

Washington Capitals’ Nicolas Aube-Kubel has received a match penalty and game misconduct for an illegal check to the head on Tampa Bay Lightning’s Cal Foote to open the second period Friday night’s matchup.

Foote was making a pass when Aube-Kubel delivered an open-ice shoulder check to his head. This is exactly the type of hits that the NHL is attempting to take out of the game.

Foote was bleeding as he then got up, probably cut from the impact on his visor, and went down the tunnel.

While the play was under review, a brawl broke out, as Garnet Hathaway and Pat Maroon dropped the gloves while others started a scrum as well. 

A lot to handle for the officials out there reviewing the play, though Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was loving it, happy to see Maroon defend his fallen teammate. 

In the end, Aube-Kubel was ejected from the contest, just his third game in the Capitals’ jersey after he was picked off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

His hit will automatically be reviewed by the NHL Department of Player Safety and could result in a suspension. Aube-Kubel has never been suspended in the NHL, but has been fined twice. He was suspended three times for hits to the head in the AHL. That included a three-game suspension during the 2018 Calder Cup playoffs. 

Washington got lucky as it killed off the penalty, and forward Sonny Milano, who was serving the penalty, scored on a breakaway out of the box to make it 2-0.