"Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand will neither be fined nor suspended by the NHL for his elbow to the head of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson on Tuesday night. In overtime, Matheson was taken to the boards by Florida center Sam Bennett. As he played the puck, Matheson was then checked by Marchand, whose right elbow contacted with Matheson's head. Marchand was given a 2-minute roughing minor penalty at 1:27 of overtime."
"According to a league source, there was a sense that Marchand's hit didn't rise to the level of supplemental discipline due to the force of the hit and because it was penalized within the game. Marchand has a significant supplemental discipline history with the NHL Department of Player Safety, but his last suspension came in 2021. He was fined earlier this season for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Buffalo Sabres. Prior to that, his last fine was in February 2023."
Brad Marchand will not be fined or suspended by the NHL for an elbow that struck Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson. The sequence occurred in overtime after Matheson was taken to the boards by Sam Bennett and then checked by Marchand, whose right elbow made contact with Matheson's head. Marchand received a 2-minute roughing minor at 1:27 of overtime. Nick Suzuki scored on the power play at 3:24 to secure Montreal's comeback. A league source said the hit did not meet the threshold for supplemental discipline because of the hit's force and because it was penalized in-game. Marchand has a notable discipline history, with his last suspension in 2021 and fines in recent seasons. The decision drew attention because the Panthers play the 2026 Winter Classic on Jan. 2, where Marchand is a marquee player.
Read at ESPN.com
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