During the New Jersey Devils' April 13 contest against the New York Islanders, forward Paul Cotter was given a match penalty for an illegal check to the head on defenseman Adam Pelech.
The play occurred during the second period of the matchup. After Pelech dumped the puck into the Devils' zone, Cotter caught the Islanders blueliner with a shoulder to the head.
Following the hit, Pelech was noticeably bleeding and later ruled out for the remainder of the contest.
Paul Cotter was given a match penalty for this hit on Adam Pelech
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 13, 2025
Pelech got up and was FURIOUS at Cotter 😳 pic.twitter.com/OESobMUf28
Cotter, 25, was acquired by the Devils this past off-season from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for forward Alexander Holtz and goaltender Akira Schmid. In 79 games this season with the Devils, Cotter has 16 goals and 22 points.
In 217 career NHL games over four seasons split between the Golden Knights and Devils, Cotter has 38 goals, 29 assists, 67 points, 109 penalty minutes, and 661 hits.
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