Montreal Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky has been suspended for two games by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for a dangerous hit against Matt Luff.
The incident occurred with 5:32 left in the third period of the game between the Canadiens and the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Slafkovsky shoved Luff in the back and the forward fell headfirst into the boards in front of the Red Wings bench.
Luff appeared to be cut in the face on the footage. He did not return to the game.
The referees awarded a major penalty for giving tape and a game misconduct to Slafkovsky.
Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde said via the team’s official Twitter account on Wednesday that Luff will be undergoing surgery for an upper body injury on Thursday and is expected to sit out for a period. 10 to 12 weeks.
In its explanatory video, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety points out that Slafkovsky had a responsibility to apply a check in a legal manner, minimize the impact or avoid contact with Luff.
The play was reminiscent of Josh Anderson’s bodycheck to Vegas Golden Knights captain Alex Pietrangelo on Saturday. Anderson was suspended two games for his gesture.
Slafkovsky will be eligible to return to action next Tuesday, when the Canadiens host the New Jersey Devils.
In 10 games this season, Slafkovsky has scored three goals. He was selected by the Canadiens first overall in the last NHL Draft.
To see in video