"Blue Jackets left winger Dane Byers will have a telephone hearing with the NHL at 12:30 p.m. today to address his actions that led to a rare match penalty in a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.

General manager Scott Howson plans to join the call, but it seems likely that Byers will face further discipline by the league for an open-ice, blindside hit on Andrew Desjardins that knocked the Sharks center out of the game.

"To see him get hit like that, that's exactly what we want to eliminate from the game. Exactly," Sharks coach Todd McLellan said.

Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards said after the game that he had not seen replays of the second-period hit in which Byers blasted Desjardins in the side of the head with his shoulder after the puck was several feet past the pair.

"I'm sure the league will take a look at it and they'll make the right decision," Richards said."