NHL suspends Evgeny Kuznetsov for one game for high sticking

The NHL Department of Player Safety had a meeting with Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov. HIs “crime”? High sticking Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kyle Burroughs. The punishment? Kuznetsov is suspended for one game which will occur on Thursday night at the Ottawa Senators.

At around 3:25 of the second period, Kuznetsov glided down the ice and put up a shot on goal. After he didn’t get the goal he fell to the ground after bumping into Burroughs. A frustrated Kuznetsov got up and then hit him in the head with his stick.

He basically swung his stick like a baseball bat.

Kuznetsov received a minor penalty before he gave Burroughs an extra shove while he was on the ground. The incident came at 16:44 of the second period in the Capitals 6-4 win.

In the video which we linked to in the opening paragraph, the NHL said that Kuznetsov purposefully delivered “an intentional stick swing toward an opponent that (made) high contact.”

The play was clearly intentional and not a careless stick swing. I think it was a fair suspension and honestly it could’ve been worse than one game, so the fact he is suspended for just one game is a good thing.

Kuznetsov will give up $42,162 in his salary per a fine from the league. He can return to action on Saturday night against the Los Angles Kings at Capital One Arena.

Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette believed that the play was “accidental”. He said, “Often times when you are in a battle like that, sometimes things are reactionary.”

Kuznetsov has only been suspended once prior to today’s ruling. The previous suspension didn’t come from the NHLDoPS. It was a three game suspension without pay for off ice conduct back in 2019.

Kuznetsov has been fined twice by the league. Once in 2017 for diving and again last season in another high sticking incident.

In other news, Connor Brown suffered a lower body injury during last night’s game and didn’t practice. Laviolette didn’t have an update or a timetable yet on his return. He was evaluated Tuesday morning.