Winnipeg Jets forward Brendan Lemieux has been suspended for two games without pay for an illegal check to the head of Florida Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck.
The incident occurred on Friday night in Helsinki as a part of the NHL's Global series. Late in the second period, Lemieux delivered a direct shoulder to the head of Trocheck, which hurled Trocheck backward.
"I thought it was high, it was to the head," Florida coach Bob Boughner told reporters after the game. "I'm just glad that Troch isn't hurt."
Winnipeg's Brendan Lemieux has been suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head on Florida's Vincent Trocheck. https://t.co/tQt7AWcmLH
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) November 5, 2018
After the play, Lemieux fought with the Panthers' MacKenzie Weegar and then was assessed a match penalty.
Lemieux, 22, who is making $839,167 this season on his entry-level contract, will forfeit $9,023.30 in salary. (Under the CBA, the fine is calculated based off a players' annual salary). The forfeited money will go to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
Lemieux, who has only played in 18 NHL games, is the son of longtime NHL forward Claude Lemieux.
This is the third suspension for an illegal check to the head this season. Mark Borowiecki was suspended for three games on Oct. 28 and Tom Wilson of the Washington Capitals received a 20-game suspension in September. Wilson is currently appealing to a neutral arbitrator after NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the initial decision.
