NHL

Therrien in hot water for Brassard comment

It has become a problem because Michel Therrien made it one.

The Canadiens coach delivered a seemingly foolish statement Saturday regarding injured Rangers center Derick Brassard, saying in French his Habs “expect Derick Brassard to play and we know exactly where he’s injured.”

On Sunday, hours before the teams squared off in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference final and Brassard returned from his two-game absence due to an upper-body injury, Therrien was confronted with the fact he might have indicted himself in a matter of premeditated violence.

“I know the league is looking at [Therrien’s comment about Brassard] and expect it to be handled quietly with a private warning,” an industry source told The Post’s Larry Brooks.

That private warning could have very well been the conversation had between league vice president Colin Campbell, Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin and Therrien on Sunday morning near the Zamboni entrance at the Garden. Seen standing together and talking, the specifics of the conversation might be unknown, but not impossible to glean from context of the situation.

“In the hockey world it’s a small world, so we knew exactly what happened to Derick Brassard,” Therrien said again on Sunday, his team down in the best-of-seven, 2-1. “There is no free pass. We’re in the playoffs. But the intention is not to hurt the guy. I mean, come on.”

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault addressed the comment, as well, saying, “I hope nothing happens to Brass. The player and Michel could be in trouble.”

Therrien was rather adamant about the fact they didn’t want to see Brassard get hurt, and their intention going into Game 4 was not to injure him.

“There is no hockey coach going to ask to hurt the player,” Therrien said. “But you have to play hard. We have to play Derick Brassard hard like we have to play all those New York Rangers hard, with emotion and the best playoff hockey. No one’s got a free pass.”