When Florida Panthers forward Sandis Vilmanis hit Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy in the head with an elbow last Wednesday night in a game in South Florida, it caused a stir not only with the Bruins but with the rest of the NHL.
There was some thought that there was going to be some disciplinary action for what appeared to be an elbow with purprose at McAvoy's head. He was down on the ice for a few minutes before needing help to get off the ice. It didn't look like he was going to return to the game, but he came out to begin the second period. He finished the game and is now getting ready to play for Team USA in the Olympics.
The hit did not garner any disciplinary action from NHL Player Safety, which irritated fans everywhere, except for Panthers fans. According to them, they never do anything wrong.
On Monday, after a training match for Latvia against Switzerland at the Olympics, where Vilmanis will be playing, he addressed the hit and some rather interesting quotes.
Panthers Sandis Vilmanis addresses Charlie McAvoy cheap shot
Vilmanis was given a two-minute penalty for a hit to the head, while Bruins defenseman Jonathan Aspirot was given a minor for roughing for going after Vilmanis. Boston's bench was given an unsportsmanlike penalty for disagreeing with the call. Somehow, Florida ended up with a power play.
However, while McAvoy returned, Vilmanis did not. According to him, head coach Paul Maurice held him out of the rest of the game after taking a hit to the head himself and feeling dizzy. He was cleared to go back in, but Maurice apparently wouldn't let him.
"I left, sat down, Vilmanis said via sportacentrs.com. "My head hurt, I felt dizzy. I thanked him, and then they told me to go to the locker room to get checked. We did, everything was fine, I could go back to play. But the coach came over and said: that's it, you'll have enough. That's how it happened. That's why I didn't go back."
So it appears that Maurice had the final call on Vilmanis not going back into the game, but as for the hit on McAvoy?
"Everyone says I was really looking and hunting... Hockey happens so fast. Whoever came up to me would have done the exact same thing. I didn't raise my elbow specifically - he dodged, I tried to give it to him, it was a reaction," Vilmanis said.
"It happened the way it happened. I didn't get any disqualifications afterwards. People watch everything, even multiple times. It wasn't as crazy as the video makes it look. Of course, his jaw was already broken - any touch would swell up there."
Charlie McAvoy has gone to the room after taking this hit from Sandis Vilmanis 🤕
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) February 5, 2026
Vilmanis received a 2-minute minor for illegal check to the head. pic.twitter.com/uYT2e7JAHy
As for McAvoy playing with a jaw that was already broken, Vilmanis has an interesting take on that and potential revenge down the line.
"He won't come himself, he had a broken jaw, any touch will hurt. He has teammates in the NHL who will be able to take revenge," Vilmanis concluded. "I'll play the way I always play, and then we'll see what happens."
The two teams will meet one last time on April 2 in Florida.