Vancouver Canucks forward Alex Burrows had a telephone hearing today with the NHL Department of Player Safety after his high check to the head of Montreal Canadiens defenceman Alexei Emelin.

There was no penalty on the play in the second period, which finished moments later at the other end of the ice as Nick Bonino scored for the Canucks.

Emelin missed the rest of the second period but returned for the third.

"I was trying to finish my check and my intent was not to hurt him," Burrows told reporters afterwards. "Obviously you never want to hurt someone and I'm glad he came back.

"I'm not going to speculate on what people are going to say. My intent was not to hurt him."

Canadiens head coach Michel Therrien was not pleased with the hit.

"We all saw the hit to the head on Emelin and instead of having a power play of five minutes the puck is in your own net," said the coach. "That was a dirty hit to the head."

Burrows has never been suspended over nine NHL seasons. The telephone hearing means the league can suspend him for no more than five games.