Sabres' Dell to have hearing for hit that injured Senators' Batherson

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Aaron Dell will have a hearing Wednesday to answer for his hit that injured Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson on Tuesday night.

Dell sent Batherson crashing into the boards with a lowered shoulder during the first period of Tuesday's contest.

Drake Batherson was forced to leave the game after being hit by Aaron Dell. pic.twitter.com/t6T66c6gdJ

- Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 26, 2022

Batherson will be out long term with an ankle injury and miss the upcoming All-Star Game, Senators head coach D.J. Smith said postgame Tuesday, according to Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch. The winger reportedly has a high ankle sprain, and the team won't have a clear timeline for him until the swelling comes down.

Smith called the play "ridiculous" postgame and pointed out that Dell has a history of doing what he did to Batherson. Meanwhile, Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk was pretty straightforward with his thoughts on the hit.

"Quite frankly, it's a bullshit play," Tkachuk said, according to Sportsnet's Kyle Bukauskas. "It sucks."

Batherson leads the Senators with 34 points over 31 contests this season, including 13 goals.

Copyright (C) 2022 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.