The Ottawa Senators and Los Angeles Kings squared off on Thursday night, but a dangerous hit stole the spotlight and drew immediate attention from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.
Senators forward Hayden Hodgson has been handed a two-game suspension for boarding and charging Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke during the contest.
Hodgson was initially assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding on the play. Clarke appeared to be in a vulnerable position near the boards when Hodgson, skating at full speed, drove through him with significant force.
The league's decision to tack on a suspension comes as no surprise given Hodgson's lengthy disciplinary record. He was reportedly suspended for five games back in February while playing for the Belleville Senators, Ottawa's AHL affiliate, for a similar type of hit. That punishment was his fourth suspension as a professional.
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Despite that track record, the two-game ban has drawn criticism from fans who believe the league was too lenient. Some pointed to the nature of the hit and Hodgson's repeat offender status as reasons for a harsher penalty.
Clarke, fortunately, appears to have avoided serious injury on the play, though the hit itself was widely described as dangerous and reckless.
Hodgson will sit out two games, but the league's short leash on him is only getting shorter. Any future infraction will almost certainly carry a much heavier price, and the Senators will need their forward to clean up his game if he hopes to maintain a roster spot at the NHL level.
