Ottawa Senators forward Hayden Hodgson was ejected from Thursday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Kings after driving defenseman Brandt Clarke into the corner boards from behind, drawing a five-minute boarding major and a game misconduct – the same call he earned a year ago on a hit that cost him the maximum fine.

On Friday, the Department of Player Safety announced Hodgson will have a hearing today over the hit.

The play came at 11:15 of the second period, 21 seconds after Joel Armia’s goal had made it 4-1 Kings, chasing Ottawa starter Jonas Johansson. With the puck dumped in, Clarke retrieved it below the goal line in the corner. Hodgson arrived on the forecheck at full speed – 21 mph per the game broadcast – and drove him from behind, catching Clarke with his left elbow and forearm and slamming his head into the boards.

Clarke was slow to get up, making it to one knee before exiting. The Kings announced he would not return with an upper-body injury. He finished with 11:37 of ice time and an assist on Erik Haula’s first-period power play goal.

NHL.com’s recap described the contact as “an elbow to the head.” The call on the ice, though, was boarding.

Haula immediately went after Hodgson and took a two-minute roughing minor, leaving Los Angeles with three minutes of power play time after the offset. Artemi Panarin’s goal to make it 5-1 at 15:43 came on a two-man advantage while the major was still running. Stephen Halliday served the major; Hodgson’s night ended with 4:44 played, eight shifts, and 15 penalty minutes.

One more layer to the hit: Hodgson and Clarke know each other. The two were teammates with the AHL’s Ontario Reign in 2023-24.

The Call, The Rule, The Ejection

Referees Mike Sullivan and Graham Skilliter assessed a major penalty. Under Rule 20.6 every non-fighting major goes to video review by the on-ice officials, who can confirm it, reduce it, or rescind it entirely. This one stood in full: five minutes for boarding plus a game misconduct. 

A game misconduct isn’t automatic under the boarding rule. Rule 41.5 ties the ejection to the injury:

“When a major penalty is imposed under this rule for a foul resulting in an injury to the face or head of an opponent, a game misconduct shall be imposed.”

A boarding major that injures a shoulder or a knee carries no ejection. Here, Clarke’s head drove into the boards, and Hodgson was done for the night.

Hodgson’s Rap Sheet

Hodgson’s only prior NHL discipline came almost exactly a year ago. On October 1, 2025, the Department of Player Safety fined him $2,018.23 for boarding Montreal’s Alex Newhook in a preseason game. On that play, Hodgson was assessed the identical call: a boarding major and a game misconduct. That fine sits inside the CBA’s 18-month repeat-offender window, and it will be part of Friday’s conversation in the Player Safety office.

His AHL record is longer. Per AHL Player Safety Committee releases, Hodgson has been suspended six times in the minors – 19 games in total – including a four-game boarding suspension in February 2025 for a hit that also drew a major and a game misconduct, and a five-game elbowing suspension this past February.

Of course, that’s not considered by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety; only incidents from NHL games weigh in when it comes to a player’s history.

What’s Next

Kings coach Peter Laviolette had no update on Clarke after the game. He’s second among Los Angeles defensemen in ice time this season, with nine points in 12 games. The Kings host Buffalo on Saturday. 

No word yet if Clarke will be back in the lineup…  or if Hodgson might be sidelined for the Sens, depending on Player Safety’s ruling.  We’re going with two games for this one.

 

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-5 in overtime. Officials for the game were referees Mike Sullivan (#47) and Graham Skilliter (#24), with linespersons Kiel Murchison (#79) and Brandon Grillo (#75).