The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Sunday that Columbus Blue Jackets’ defenseman Erik Gudbranson will have a hearing on Monday for an alternation he had with Florida Panthers’ forward Nick Cousins during their game on Sunday afternoon.
The incident stemmed from a sequence at the beginning of the third period when Cousins laid a hit from behind on Gudbranson, causing the Blue Jackets’ defenseman to go head-first into the boards and lay on the ice for a few seconds. Cousins was originally awarded a five-minute major and a game misconduct, but after officials reviewed the play, they decided to give the Panthers’ forward a two-minute minor for boarding.
Just over six minutes later, Gudbranson went after Cousins, who was down on the ice in a turtle position while Gudbranson threw several punches. Gudbranson was given two minutes for an instigator, five minutes for fighting, an additional 10-minute misconduct instigator and a 10-minute game misconduct penalty.
Combined with the two-minute minor he had for roughing Cousins at the beginning of the third period, Gudbranson finished the game with a total of 29 penalty minutes.
Blue Jackets’ head coach Pascal Vincent wasn’t too pleased with the officiating.
“We believe it was a five-minute penalty,” Vincent said, according to The Hockey Writers’ Mark Scheig, in reference to Cousins’ original hit at the beginning of the third period. “If that call happens, (Gudbranson going after Cousins) doesn’t happen. (Gudbranson) could have gotten seriously injured there.”
Gudbranson has two goals and eight assists for 10 points, as well as 42 penalty minutes in 27 games with the Blue Jackets in 2023-24.
The Panthers won the game 5-2. They will head to the pacific northwest to take on the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. The Blue Jackets’ won’t play their next game until next Thursday when they travel up north to face the Toronto Maple Leafs.
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