The NHL’s Department of Player Safety was doing double-duty on this play, handing out supplemental discipline to both participants. Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny has been fined $5000 and New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith has been suspended two games for their dueling stickwork.
The two players came together with 2:50 remaining in the third period of Thursday’s game in Philadelphia. Smith was given a minor penalty for slashing; Konecny received no penalty on the play.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety called the play a “forceful, retaliatory slash” done solely in retribution. Here’s their complete ruling:
Thursday night in Philadelphia, Devils defenseman Brendan Smith was penalized for a forceful retaliatory slash to Flyers forward Travis Konecny.
As the video shows, with the puck having been cleared to the other end of the ice, Konecny delivers a sharp cross check to the body of Smith for which he has been fined.
In retaliation and in complete control of his actions, Smith turns towards Konecny, winds up and delivers a forceful two-handed strike to Konecny’s arm with his stick. This is slashing.
It is important to note that this is an intentional and forceful slash delivered well away from the puck and solely for the purpose of retribution. This is not a hockey play nor is this a battle where players are physically engaged and a stick comes up carelessly due to the body contact between the players. Smith is in complete control of his stick at all times and while we recognize Smith’s assertion that he is cross checked first in the sequence, players are not excused from illegal acts just because of a prior foul by an opponent.
The New Jersey defenseman has been suspended once – eight games back in 2011 for an illegal hit to the head. He was also fined for elbowing Boston’s David Pastrnak in May of 2022.
While Konecny is out $5k, Smith loses a bit more, forfeiting $11,458.34 in salary as a result of the suspension.
Smith will miss the Devils’ games against the Sharks and Canucks; he’s eligible to return to the lineup when they visit the Seattle Kraken on December 7.
The New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 in overtime. Referees for the game were Francis Charron (#6) and Jon McIsaac (#2), skating alongside linesmen Ryan Daisy (#81) and Brandon Grillo (#75).
