NHL Breaking News: Detroit's Brendan Smith Lays out Chicago's Ben Smith

And the hit of the week is in.

Brendan Smith's hit on Ben Smith earlier this evening is sure to draw lots of debate as to whether or not it's a "suspendable" hit.

Brendan Smith, who is regarded by most to be the future of the Red Wings' blue line, KOed Blackhawks forward Ben Smith roughly five minutes into the third period during Wednesday's game in Chicago.

For those of you who didn't see the hit, you can view it here.

Lots of questions here. The funny thing is reading the comments from people saying it's an elbow. My only question is, are those people blind, or did they simply sleep through anatomy classes?

Either way, the difference between an elbow and a shoulder is clear as day, and Smith clearly didn't hit Smith with his elbow.

You can make an argument as to whether or not it was a blindside hit, but I'd venture to say that Ben Smith's body was positioned in a way that wouldn't make this a blindside check; he just got caught with his head down.

The one rule you can get the defender for the Detroit Red Wings on is targeting the head, and it's almost certainly what disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan will zero in on. It can't be denied that it was a head hit, whether you believe those should be against the rules or not.

Either way, with Shanahan's current activity in league discipline, it's likely that Brendan Smith will see some kind of suspension. Let us know your opinion on the matter by voting in the poll and commenting below.

Jordan Matthews is a fan of the NHL and the Detroit Red Wings. For more coverage, become a fan on Bleacher Report and follow him on Twitter by clicking the button below.

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