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Flames' Zadorov avoids discipline for hit on Stars' Glendening

Cooper Neill / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Calgary Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov will not be suspended or fined for his hit on Dallas Stars forward Luke Glendening during Friday's Game 6, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Saturday.

"While there was significant head contact on this play, Zadorov took a proper angle of approach, did not extend outward or upward, and hit through Glendening’s core," the league said in a statement. "Therefore, under Rule 48.1 (i), the head contact was determined to be unavoidable."

Glendening needed to be helped off the ice after getting run over by Zadorov during the second period of the Stars' 4-2 victory. Glendening initially exited the contest with an upper-body injury.

Head coach Rick Bowness told reporters after the game that Glendening cleared concussion protocol and came back to the bench for the third period but didn't play another shift due to a lower-body ailment.

"He's one tough, tough cookie. There was no way he was missing that third period, whether he could play or not. ... You talk about all in? He's all in every day," Bowness said, according to Bally Sports Southwest.

There was no penalty called on the play. Bowness said Glendening is a game-time decision for Game 7, according to The Athletic's Saad Yousuf.

Zadorov pitched in with two assists in six games of the series. Puck drops on Game 7 at 9:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.

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