[UPDATE: Marchand has been given a six-game suspension by the NHL DoPS.]
Brad Marchand will have an in-person hearing -- to be held via video conference -- with the NHL Department of Player Safety for going after Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry on two occasions Tuesday night.
Since it’s an in-person hearing, which will be held Wednesday night, that means there is the possibility that the suspension will be five games or more.
Late in the third period of the Penguins’ 4-2 win, Jarry denied Marchand’s point-blank opportunity in front to cut the lead in half. After the whistle, Jarry said something to Marchand, which set off the Bruins forward, causing him to punch the Pittsburgh goalie.
But the fun didn’t end there. As linesman Andrew Smith was navigating Marchand away from the Penguins’ crease and towards the penalty box, Marchand jabbed Jarry in the mask with his stick.
(The official reasoning for the hearing is “roughing/high-sticking.”)
Once things settled down, Marchand was given a roughing minor and a match penalty.
What was the genesis of the beef between Marchand and Jarry? Let’s go back to the second period.
[MORE: Marchand on Olympic decision: ‘Let players make their choice’]
Jarry picked up the puck behind his net with the intention of flipping it to a fan in the stands. He never got the opportunity as Marchand skate by and hacked the puck off Jarry’s stick, caught it and the skated away like nothing happened before firing it towards the boards.
Brad Marchand didn't let Tristan Jarry give a puck to a Pens fan in Boston 😂 pic.twitter.com/9U2VlSACqS
— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) February 9, 2022
Jarry was clearly thinking, “WTF, dude?”.
After the game, the Penguins goaltender was not revealing anything about what happened.
“I think it’s just the heat of the moment,” Jarry said. “I think everyone’s battling hard out there, he’s just trying to get the puck to the net, and I think our team did a great job. It’s part of the game, and it stays on the ice.”
Marchand did not speak to reporters afterward, but his coach, Bruce Cassidy, wasn’t happy with the actions of his star forward.
“Honestly, a lack of discipline, obviously, on Brad’s part in that situation,” Cassidy said. “I just watched the replay, at the end. It looks like some words were exchanged. I don’t know if there was an incident at the end of the second that precipitated that. I was in the room so I don’t know. Someone said that. Still, you’ve got to have better discipline at the end of the day. Brad’s a leader on our team and he’s got to control his emotions.”
Marchand was last punished by the NHL with a three-game suspension for slew-footing Oliver Ekman-Larsson in November. Over the entirety of his career, he’s been suspended seven times and missed 22 games while also being fined on five occasions, missing out on $971,397.61.
————
Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.