Discipline in professional hockey is always a moving target. Consistency remains a rare commodity. When Ottawa Senators forward Hayden Hodgson received a two-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety, it reignited familiar debates about supplemental discipline and dangerous hits.
The punishment stems from an incident involving Los Angeles Kings defenceman Brandt Clarke. Midway through the second period of a wild 6-5 overtime thriller, Hodgson delivered a hard hit from behind that sent Clarke crashing awkwardly into the boards. Officials on the ice caught the play immediately. Hodgson drew a major penalty for boarding alongside a mandatory game misconduct.
Inside the Hit That Cost Hodgson Two Games
Boarding calls carry inherent danger in the modern game. Players near the boards are vulnerable, unable to brace properly for impact. Clarke found himself in that exact spot on Thursday night.
Hodgson closed the gap quickly. Instead of pulling up or choosing a safer body check angle, the Senators forward followed through. Clarke slammed hard into the glass. The sequence happened in a split second, yet the consequences stretch far beyond a single lost evening.
The department of player safety reviewed the sequence overnight. Their conclusion landed on Friday. Hodgson sits out two games and forfeits US$8,762.88 in salary. That money goes directly to the players' emergency assistance fund, a standard procedure for suspended contracts under the collective bargaining agreement.
The Financial and Roster Impact on Ottawa
For a fringe player or someone fighting for a permanent roster spot, missing games hurts. You lose momentum. You lose trust from the coaching staff.
Senators head coach and management value physical engagement. That style comes with a razor-thin margin of error. Cross that line by a few inches, and you leave your team short-handed during a game and depleted on the depth chart afterward. Ottawa already battles the typical physical attrition of an 82-game schedule. Losing forward depth for two matches forces line juggles and puts extra pressure on special teams.
How the Department of Player Safety Evaluates Boarding
Fans often wonder how the league calculates these suspensions. Why two games? Why not zero or five?
The department looks at several distinct factors during their video reviews:
- The point of contact and whether the numbers on the jersey were visible.
- The degree of force used on the vulnerable player.
- Whether the opponent put themselves in a defenseless position at the last second.
- The player's previous disciplinary history.
In Hodgson's case, the severity of the contact warranted the major penalty on the ice. The supplementary discipline confirms the league viewed the hit as avoidable. Clarke managed to finish the game, a detail that often influences whether a suspension climbs higher.
What This Means Moving Forward
Hockey is fast. Hits happen in fractions of a second. Yet the NHL keeps tightening the screws on checks from behind. Players know the standard. When someone steps over the boundary, the fallout is swift.
Hodgson will watch the next two matchups from the press box. He will work on finding that delicate balance between physical intimidation and reckless contact. Meanwhile, the Senators must adapt without him on the ice.
