The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Wednesday afternoon that Philadelphia Flyers defender Radko Gudas has been suspended two games for a high-sticking incident that took place on Monday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Gudas was assessed a two-minute minor for high-sticking Nikita Kucherov, the NHL’s leading-scorer, in the third period of the Lightning’s 5-2 win when he brought his stick down over Kucherov’s head with a two-handed swing.
Here is a look at the play, as well as the NHL’s explanation for the suspension.
The DoPS said that while it agreed with Gudas’ assessment that it was not an overly violent swing, it was still an act that warranted a penalty during the play and some sort of supplemental discipline, whether it be a warning, fine or suspension. They go on to say that this incident rose to the level of a suspension because of Gudas’ past history that includes a 10-game suspension for a stick-swinging incident against the Winnipeg Jets back in 2017.
Overall this is the fourth time in his career that Gudas has been suspended with all of them now adding up to 21 games.
He will miss the Flyers’ next two games against the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night and the Stadium Series game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.
The DoPS also fined Flyers defenseman Robert Hagg $3,091.40, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for interference against Lightning forward Cedric Paquette.
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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.