Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas plays on the edge, and now he’ll sit up in the press box for the first six games of the upcoming season after the NHL suspended him Monday for a hit on Boston Bruins forward Austin Czarnik in Saturday night’s preseason game at TD Garden.
Gudas was given a two-minute penalty for boarding on the play, during which he also made contact with Czarnik’s head.
In the league’s video explaining the suspension, the Department of Player Safety noted it was “a combination of the lateness of this hit and the forceful and substantial head contact that forces this hit to rise to the level of supplemental discipline.”
Gudas’ prior history with supplemental discipline also was a factor in this decision. He was suspended three games in December for an illegal check to Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad. Earlier this month, Gudas was ejected from a preseason game for a dangerous hit on New York Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey, but he escaped a suspension.
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
