Breaking: NHL suspends Malkin for swinging stick at Flyers’ Raffl!

Many wondered if the National Hockey League would dare to suspend one of its superstars and you better believe it has… 

Pittsburgh Penguins star forward Evgeni Malkin has been suspended one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety for high-sticking/slashing  Philadelphia Flyers forward Michael Raffl.

The incident took place late in the third period with the Penguins up 3-0 on the Flyers when Malkin and Raffl were battling for the puck in the neutral zone. 

Raffl hit Malkin from behind and in retaliation, Malkin turned around and swung his stick, attempting to hit Raffl in the head.

Thankfully, Malkin did not make contact with Raffl, at least not solidly, but just because of the sheer recklessness of the play and because Malkin’s intent was clearly to injure, he was handed a 10 minute misconduct and ejected from the game. It was his first game back in the lineup after missing the past five games with an upper-body injury.

After the game Malkin didn’t seem to shy away from the fact that what he did was dirty, but he defended his actions saying no one was hurt.

“I’m not trying to hit his face. … I know it’s dirty, but I missed,” Malkin said. “He just like dived and the referee give me five minutes. [He wasn’t] injured, not bleeding, nothing.”

“I didn’t hit him in the face,” Malkin added. “If I had touched him in the face, for sure, I would get suspended. It’s a high stick, but it’s not like I broke his face. I think I won’t get suspended.”

Well, you were wrong, Geno… You'll have to sit out one game after all...