Panthers’ forward suspended 3 games for check to Habs’ Paquette

Montreal Canadiens left wing Michael Pezzetta (55) controls the puck against the Florida Panthers during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, Jan. 1, 2022, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Michael Reaves)

MONTREAL -

The NHL’s player safety committee announced Sunday that Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett will serve a three-game suspension for a hit to the head on Saturday against Cedric Paquette of the Montreal Canadiens.

Bennett hit Paquette in the first period of the game. A video accompanying the NHL player safety committee’s decision explains that the primary point of contact was Paquette’s head and that the situation was preventable.

The committee also determined it would have been possible for Bennett to legally deliver the check, but that he opted for his opponent’s head. According to the committee, he had time and space to change his trajectory.

This is the second time Bennett has been suspended by the NHL. He was suspended for one game in the 2021 playoffs when he threw the tape against Blake Coleman of the Tampa Bay Lightning. This factor was taken into account by the committee to explain the sentence announced Sunday.

Paquette left the ice after the incident and did not return to the game. Bennett did not receive a penalty on the sequence, having scored the only goal of the game at the time of the incident. The 25-year-old forward scored another goal in the third period.

— This report was first published by in French by The Canadian Press on Jan. 02, 2022.