Gerard Gallant 'shocked' by inaction from NHL Player Safety.

The New York Rangers are not happy with how the National Hockey League is treating their players.

On Thursday night, the Rangers faced off against the Ottawa Senators in what would prove to be a tough loss for the Rangers. Not only did the Rangers fall by a score of 5-3, spoiling the debut of Patrick Kane in a Rangers uniform, but they would also lose Tyler Motte during the course of the game. Motte was injured after he was on the receiving end of a punishing hit from Austin Watson of the Senators, one that pinned his head between Watson's body and the boards.

The Rangers took exception to the hit, feeling that Watson had caught Motte up high, and it would seem that they had expected that the NHL's Department of Player Safety would handle the situation with supplemental discipline. We now know of course that this was not the case, and on Saturday Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant expressed his displeasure with that decision.

“I’m not disappointed, but I’m surprised…" admitted Gallant on Saturday. "I was shocked the next day.”

What makes the situation all the more frustrating for the Rangers is that Motte still remains out of the lineup as they play shorthanded due to salary cap constraints related to the Patrick Kane trade.