Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel has been handed a one-game suspension and will sit out Game 3 of the team`s first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series against the Florida Panthers. The disciplinary action follows an illegal hit Hagel delivered to Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov during Game 2, the league announced Friday. Barkov was forced to exit Thursday night`s game immediately after the hit and did not return.
The incident occurred in the third period of the Panthers` 2-0 victory over the Lightning. Barkov was skating into the corner in pursuit of a loose puck, competing with Hagel and Tampa defenseman Ryan McDonagh. McDonagh was the first to reach the puck, playing it around the boards.
Despite McDonagh having possession, Hagel made forceful contact with Barkov. The hit sent Barkov hard into the ice and the boards. He did not return to the game, and his availability for Game 3 remains uncertain. Hagel received a five-minute major penalty for interference on the play.
Following a review of the sequence, the NHL Department of Player Safety issued the one-game suspension on Friday. The department stated that Hagel delivered an “extremely forceful body check to an unsuspecting opponent with sufficient force for supplemental discipline.”
The Department of Player Safety further clarified that a player is accountable for confirming an opponent has possession of the puck before initiating a hit, even if they anticipate the opponent playing the puck.
The DoPS announcement explicitly stated: “It is important to note that Barkov is never in possession of the puck on this play and is therefore not eligible to be checked in any manner.” They added, “While we understand Hagel`s argument that he is approaching the play as if Barkov will play the puck, the onus is on Hagel to ensure that the player he is hitting is eligible to be checked.”
With Hagel definitively sidelined for Game 3 on Saturday afternoon, attention turns to Barkov`s health status. The Panthers` captain was not cleared to skate on Friday, although coach Paul Maurice did not officially rule him out for the upcoming game.
Barkov has played a key role for Florida in containing Lightning superstar Nikita Kucherov through the first two games. If Barkov is unable to play, the Panthers will need centers like Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell to increase their ice time and responsibilities down the middle.
