Due to a lack of evidence, Philadelphia Flyers winger Scott Hartnell will not face any supplementary discipline for an alleged biting incident in Thursday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
With seconds remaining in regulation on Thursday, Hartnell was engaged with Penguins' defenceman Kris Letang in a scrum when both players fell to the ice. After the 5-4 victory, Letang's ring finger was heavily bandaged in the locker room.
Hartnell took part in a conference call with NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell on Friday morning but will face no suspension or fine. Sources say the referees and linesmen did not see the alleged incident and as such, there was insufficient evidence to further penalize Hartnell.
"I think he [Hartnell] knows what he did," Letang told reporters after the game.
Upon hearing Friday's decision, Letang would not comment on the incident, saying he did not want to focus on what happened but rather focus on Saturday's game against the Maple Leafs in Toronto.
While Hartnell denied biting Letang, he told reporters "a lot of stuff happens on the bottom of the pile. He had his hands in my face doing the facewash and we're rolling around. I can't say what happened."
Having played in Pittsurgh for three seasons now, Letang knows all about the Battle of Pennsylvania and all that comes with it.
''It sets up the whole season,'' Letang told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. ''We have [five] more games to play against them and we know they're about doing stupid things like that at the end of the game.''
Hartnell was back on the ice at practice with the Flyers on Friday.
