Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel is potentially facing disciplinary action from the league.
The National Hockey League`s Department of Player Safety announced that Hagel will have a hearing on Friday concerning his hit on Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov during Thursday`s Game 2.
The incident, which occurred in the third period, resulted in a five-minute major penalty for interference against Hagel. Barkov was unable to return to the game following the collision.
Regarding Barkov`s availability for Game 3, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice stated 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. A late empty-net goal by Sam Bennett sealed a 2-0 victory for the Panthers, extending their series lead to 2-0.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper commented on the penalty, saying, “Refs made the call. 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 so far, including one on Florida`s first goal in Thursday`s game scored by defenceman Nate Schmidt. Schmidt has scored the game-winning goals in both contests in Tampa, netting two in Florida`s 6-2 win in the series opener on Tuesday.
A key question for Florida is whether Barkov will miss future games. Game 3 of the series is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Sunrise, Florida, marking the Panthers` first home playoff game since June 24, 2024, when they won Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final against Edmonton.
Panthers defenceman Seth Jones emphasized Barkov`s importance to the team, stating, “He`s irreplaceable. 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.”
Tristan Blackwood