Florida Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk suspended 2 games after high stick on Kings’ goaltender
The NHL on Sunday suspended Matthew Tkachuk for two games and fined him $102,702.70 after the Florida Panthers’ All-Star winger poked his stick into Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick’s mask late in Florida’s 5-4 loss to the Kings on Saturday. Tkachuk will miss the Panthers’ game on Sunday against the Anaheim Ducks to close their four-game West Coast trip and Wednesday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes at FLA Live Arena.
Tkachuk poked Quick in the eye with a high stick with about 39 seconds remaining in regulation after Quick made a save on a Brandon Montour shot from the point.
”While at the net-front, Tkachuk purposefully uses his stick to poke at Quick, making intentional contact with his head,” the league said in an explanation of its ruling.
No penalty was called on that play and Quick was able to finish the game, but Tkachuk was eventually assessed an interference penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct with one second left on a separate altercation in front of the net as Florida made a final attempt to tie the game. That altercation resulted in Quick, Anze Kopitar and Mikey Anderson going after Tkachuk behind the net.
“Hopefully the league takes a look at it, but it’s a dirty play,” Kings defenseman Matt Roy told reporters after the game.
Tkachuk had a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Safety on Sunday regarding the high stick, and the ruling was announced shortly afterward.
According to the league, Tkachuk said “he was not intentionally aiming for Quick’s face in an attempt to injure him.” However, the league’s ruling still found that Tkachuk “was intentionally using the blade of his stick to hit an opponent in the head.”
“While the stick is delivered without substantial force, it is only because of the lack of force that this play is not met with more severe discipline,” the league said.
The initial Tkachuk-Quick sequence came after Tkachuk had a goal waived off with 2:11 left in the second period for making contact with Quick’s head. Panthers coach Paul Maurice unsuccessfully challenged, and Viktor Arvidsson scored on the the subsequent power play to give the Kings a 3-2 lead.
“Video review supported the referee’s call on the ice that the actions of Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk impaired the ability of Los Angeles goaltender Jonathan Quick to play his position,’’ the NHL wrote in its decision to disallow Tkachuk’s second-period goal. “The decision was made in accordance with Rule 69.4 which states, in part, that ‘if an attacking player initiates any contact with a goalkeeper, other than incidental contact, while the goalkeeper is outside his goal crease, and a goal is scored, the goal will be disallowed.’”
Tkachuk entered Sunday leading the Panthers with 17 points and 12 assists and is second on the team with five goals. He has logged at least one point in 10 of Florida’s 12 games, including five multi-point outings.
He also leads the team — and is tied for second in the NHL — with 30 penalty ice minutes, 12 of which came from that last second goaltender interference and 10-minute game misconduct on Saturday. Tkachuk has committed a league-high 11 penalties this season entering Sunday.
The Panthers, at least in the immediate short-term, will now have to figure out how to replace Tkachuk’s production while simultaneously trying to get their offense going. Florida ranks 19th in the league with an average of 3.08 goals per game. Tkachuk has been involved in 17 of Florida’s 37 goals — nearly 46 percent.
Wingers Patric Hornqvist and Rudolfs Balcers are also dealing with injuries, potentially leaving Florida with just 11 available forwards for their game against Anaheim on Sunday.
This story was originally published November 6, 2022 at 4:46 PM.
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