Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel may face disciplinary action from the league.
The NHL`s Department of Player Safety announced it will hold a hearing with Hagel on Friday regarding the hit that injured Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov during Game 2 on Thursday.
The incident, which occurred in the third period, resulted in Hagel receiving a five-minute major penalty for interference after his late hit sent Barkov to the locker room. Barkov did not return to the game after the collision.
Addressing Barkov`s availability for Game 3, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice stated on Friday, “He hasn`t been ruled out yet and he hasn`t been cleared.”
At the time of the hit, Florida held a 1-0 lead. An empty-net goal by Sam Bennett in the final seconds secured a 2-0 victory for the Panthers, extending their series lead to 2-0.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper commented on the call, stating, “Refs made the call.” After unsuccessfully arguing against the penalty, he added, “I was a little surprised it was a (major) … five minutes in a 1-0 game with eight minutes to play, nine minutes to play, that`s a tough situation to be in.”
Barkov has recorded three assists in the series to date, including one on Florida`s first goal on Thursday, scored by defenseman Nate Schmidt. Schmidt has been key for Florida, scoring the winning goals in both games in Tampa, including two goals in their 6-2 Game 1 win on Tuesday.
The key question for Florida is whether Barkov will miss any upcoming games. Game 3 is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Sunrise, marking the Panthers` first home playoff game since winning the Stanley Cup Final in Game 7 on June 24, 2024.
Panthers defenseman Seth Jones emphasized Barkov`s value, calling him “irreplaceable.” Jones highlighted his importance: “He`s an irreplaceable player. Face-offs, power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5, playing against their top lines, one of the best centremen in the league. He`s obviously super-important to our team.”
