New York Islanders forward Maxim Tsyplakov has been suspended for three games for an unpenalized illegal check to the head of Philadelphia Flyers forward Ryan Poehling.
This is not the first time a player has been suspended for a hit that went without a penalty call during the game, but this might be the first time it was called and reviewed by the officials who ultimately determined it to be a legal hit.
How can that happen? There are two main factors to consider:
- Penalty reviews are conducted exclusively by the on-ice officials. The NHL’s Situation Room does not weigh in on penalty reviews.
- The NHL’s Department of Player Safety makes disciplinary determinations independently regardless of the call on the ice.
The hit came at 8:13 of the first period of Friday’s game. As Poehling fired a shot on goal midway through the first period, Tsyplakov caught him up high with a shoulder to the head. The Philly forward was helped off the ice and did not return to the game.
 
There appeared to be no initial call on the play. The four officials – referees Mitch Dunning and Brian Pochmara with linespersons Shandor Alphonso and Jonathan Deschamps – discussed the hit after the whistle. Presumably, one of them saw enough to report that there could be an illegal check to the head on the play, as permitted under Rule 32.4.
Once a major or match penalty is called on the ice, the referees review the play to confirm or reduce the call. They have the option of upholding the match penalty, reducing it to a lesser penalty, or rescinding the call altogether as per Rule 21.5. After a second look, Dunning and Pochmara determined that not only was it insufficient for a match penalty but that the hit did not even justify a minor penalty.
Tsyplakov was off the hook.
That is, until the NHL’s Department of Player Safety reviewed the play. Parros and team determined that Tsyplakov’s hit was enough to warrant a three-game suspension for an illegal check to the head.
From DOPS:
Tsyplakov finishes a high hard check that cuts across the front of his body, making his head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable.
Both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisifed on this play. First, the head is the main point of contact. While Tsyplakov does make some glancing shoulder-on-shoulder contact on this hit, his shoulder makes direct and forceful contact with Poeling’s head, and it is Poeling’s head that absrobs the vast majority of the force of this check.
Second, the head contact on this check is avoidable. While Poeling is in the process of shooting the puck, he does not materially change the position of his body or his head in a way that significantly contribus to the head contact here. Instead, Tsyplakov chooses an angle of approach that cust across the front of Poeling’s core and makes the head the main point of contact.
So, where’s the disconnect?
As noted above, there are two different groups. They’re working from the same rule book, with the same sort of interpretations. In this case, though, it appears that the on-ice officials had a different interpretation of the play than the folks in Player Safety.
While Tsyplakov was the one with the formal hearing, expect some conversations to have also taken place between DOPS, Hockey Operations, and the officiating team. It’s not a great look to have the officials and Player Safety out of alignment, especially on a play that was reviewed by the refs during the game.
Tsyplakov had not previously been fined nor suspended in the National Hockey League. He forfeits $14,843.76 as a result of the suspension.
