The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Wednesday that they have suspended Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn for two games.
The Dallas Stars will be without their captain with their season on the line.
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Wednesday they suspended Stars captain Jamie Benn for two games for his cross-check to the head of Golden Knights captain Mark Stone in the first period of Tuesday night's Game 3 of the Western Conference final.
Benn appeared in just 42 seconds before being ejected from the game, tangling himself up with Stone in the neutral zone and bringing a vicious cross-check down onto the neck of his opponent. As a result, Benn was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct.
Following the game, Benn opted not to talk to the media and later explained that he would've rathered not to fall and use his stick as a "landing point" on Stone.
With the Stars facing a 3-0 series deficit, there's a chance that this suspension ends Benn's season. It's a crushing blow to a Stars club that needs all the help it can get, as Benn entered Tuesday's contest with three goals and eight assists for 11 points in 15 games this post-season.
Now, he'll be forced to watch from the sidelines as his teammates fight to stay alive. If the Stars are swept, Benn will serve the second game of his suspension at the beginning of the 2023-24 regular season.