Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel has been suspended one game for his hit on Aleksander Barkov in Game 2 of their Battle of Florida. As a result of the suspension, Hagel will miss Game 3 of the series, which the Florida Panthers lead 2-0.
The hit happened midway through the third period, when Hagel crushed Barkov while he wasn’t looking, leaving him down on the ice for a while. Hagel was given a five-minute major for interference but, interestingly, was not handed a game misconduct.
Barkov managed to get off the ice under his own power, but he looked visibly dazed from the hit and appeared to be in a lot of pain. After exiting the game, he did not return, and Panthers head coach Paul Maurice did not provide an update on his injury or status afterward.
As for Hagel, his absence in Game 3 will be a tough blow. He has been one of the top performers for the Lightning this season and with the team down 2-0 in the series, they need him more than ever. In 82 games this year, he scored 35 goals and 55 assists for 90 points — a career-high across the board.
