Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin has been suspended for one game for his retaliation against Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph. Larkin was injured on the play.
Detroit’s Dylan Larkin has been suspended for one game for Roughing Tampa Bay’s Mathieu Joseph. https://t.co/xcYgB6dnjh— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) October 15, 2021
I guess the message is, if you get injured, STAY DOWN, and here’s the press release:
NEW YORK (Oct. 15, 2021) – Detroit Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin has been suspended for one game, without pay, for roughing Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mathieu Joseph during NHL Game No. 9 in Detroit on Thursday, Oct. 14, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 11:37 of the second period. Larkin was assessed a match penalty.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Larkin will forfeit $30,500.00. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
The Free Press’s Helene St. James quotes the video:
The DoPS explained the decision: “Larkin and Joseph race towards a loose puck. Larkin cuts in front of Joseph to establish position. Joseph shoves Larkin, causing him to hit the boards and fall to the ice. Larkin then gets to his feet, finds Joseph, and swings wildly, punching the unsuspecting Joseph in the face with a gloved hand with sufficient force to knock him to the ice. This is roughing.
“This is not a case of two players who willingly engage in a mutual confrontation. Joseph has no warning that he is about to be punched, and Larkin gives him no time to brace for contact, defend himself, or choose to engage in the altercation. We understand that Larkin is frustrated on this play, but as our department has established in the past, players are not excused from punishment merely because they are acting in response to the actions of another player. What causes this play to rise to the level of supplemental discipline is the retaliatory nature of the punch, and the force with which it is delivered to an unsuspecting opponent.”
