Brandon Sutter has accomplished an NHL first, but not one he’ll likely care to remember.
Sutter became the first player to receive a penalty for violating Rule 76.4, which went into effect this season, according to the NHL.com. Centers are no longer allowed to use their hands to win a faceoff until a third player touches the puck.
The Penguins forward did just that midway through the first period of their game against the New York Rangers:
Sutter was consequently given a two minutes for “delay of game - faceoff violation.” To make things worse for the Penguins, Simon Despres had just been assessed a penalty and the New York Rangers suddenly found themselves with a 5-on-3 advantage.
The Rangers’ Ryan Callahan capitalized on that power-play opportunity, but they are still down 4-1 after 40 minutes.