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NHL DoPS Makes Official Decision on Evan Rodrigues' Suspension Fate After Dangerous Blow to Tavares' Head

Originally posted on Blade of Steel | By Tom Banks | Last updated May 10, 2025 5:30 PM ET

The Maple Leafs-Panthers series continues to heat up, and now, the DoPS has made a ruling on Evan Rodrigues after he left his feet to hit John Tavares in the head.

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers was another thrilling showdown, with a Brad Marchand OT winner making this series 2-1 ahead of a must-win Game 4.

Before we get there however, there's been plenty of discussion surrounding veteran forward Evan Rodrigues, who has come under criticism for leaving his feet to hit John Tavares directly in the head.

It didn't seem like much at the time, but with an alternative angle of the hit, it's clear that Rodrigues leaves his feet and targets the head, with many calling for the Department of Player Safety to get involved.

Now, we've officially heard from George Parros and the DoPS, as 5PM Eastern has come and gone, with the department's official ruling on the situation becoming clear.

This wasn't the most egregious play we've seen thus far in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, so it's not surprising at all to see them rule this way on the situation, and now, all eyes turn to Game 4, which could be the deciding contest of this series, with Florida set to tie the series up at 2-2 or Toronto could take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Ultimately, with the inconsistency of the DoPS in recent times, it's never easy to know which way they are going to rule, but in this situation, it appears as though they made the correct decision.

This article first appeared on Blade of Steel and was syndicated with permission.

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