There are almost as many match penalties called this NHL season as all of last year. Are they because of shorter fuses or less tolerance of cross-checks, head contact and slew-footing?
With tight playoff races in both conferences as we approach the midpoint of the 2023-24 season, it seems like players have had shorter fuses than usual this year in the NHL.
One place where that shows up is in the unusually high number of match penalties that have been called so far this season. Not even halfway through the year, we've already seen referees assess this punishment nine times. That's a significant jump from previous seasons:
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What is a Match Penalty?
The definition of a match penalty is unchanged.
According to Rule 21 of the 2023-24 NHL rulebook,
"A match penalty involves the suspension of a player for the balance of the game and the offender shall be ordered to the dressing room immediately," states Rule 21.1 of the NHL rulebook. "A match penalty shall be imposed on any player who deliberately attempts to injure or deliberately injures an opponent in any manner."
A player who is assessed a match penalty receives 15 minutes in penalty time — a five-minute major when his team plays one man short, plus a 10-minute misconduct to go along with his ejection.
The player is also automatically suspended from further action until NHL commissioner Gary Bettman rules on what supplemental discipline, if any, will be added to the initial infraction. That typically happens the day after the incident takes place.
Match penalties must be reviewed on video by the on-ice officials at the game. Their communication with the NHL Situation Room is limited only to ensuring that they have received all possible video angles to review the incident.
After the video review, the officials will either confirm the match penalty call or reduce it to a lesser infraction.
There are 19 different types of infractions where a match penalty can be assessed:
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For six of these infractions, a match penalty must be assessed when an injury results: butt-ending, goalie using blocker, head-butting, punching and injuring an unsuspecting opponent, spearing and wearing tape.
Match Penalties in 2023-24 Season to Date:
Here's a look at the nine match penalties that have been called this year, starting with the most recent.
Jan. 4, 2024: Phil Tomasino (NSH) - Slew-footing on Dennis Gilbert (CGY)
The NHL Department of Player Safety did not issue a formal ruling on Tomasino's infraction, but the 22-year-old winger was back in the Nashville lineup two nights after the incident. Gilbert remains sidelined for Calgary.
Dec. 9, 2023: David Perron (DET) - Cross-checking on Artem Zub (OTT)
Seeing red after a scary injury to Detroit captain Dylan Larkin, David Perron had a case of mistaken identity when he cross-checked Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub in the head during the late stages of the first period. Zub did not miss a shift or any subsequent game action, but NHL player safety threw the book at Perron. His six-game suspension is the longest of the season to date.
Nov. 27, 2023: Zack MacEwen (OTT) - Illegal check to the head of Matthew Tkachuk (FLA)
On a wild night that ended with 177 total penalty minutes, MacEwen was issued a match penalty early in the third period for this play on Matthew Tkachuk — who remained in the game and fought Jake Sanderson five minutes later.
Tkachuk did not miss any time. Nor did MacEwen, who was subsequently fined $2,018, the maximum allowed, for unsportsmanlike conduct.
Nov. 20, 2023: Nils Hoglander (VAN) - Slew-footing on Kevin Labanc (SJ)
Hoglander was fined $2,864, the maximum allowed, for his actions but was not held out of further game action. Labanc finished the game but then sat out the next two contests with an upper-body injury.
Nov. 14, 2023: Paul Cotter (VEG) - Illegal Check to the Head of Evgeny Kuznetsov (WSH)
Cotter did not receive any additional discipline. Kuznetsov returned to the game after missing about 10 minutes of action following the hit, then missed the two subsequent games due to illness.
Nov. 4, 2023: Andrew Mangiapane (CGY) - Cross-checking on Jared McCann (SEA)
Mangiapane's match penalty on McCann came midway through the opening frame and knocked McCann out of action for about half a period. Mangiapane was suspended for one additional game.
Oct. 30, 2023: Charlie McAvoy (BOS) - Illegal Check to the Head of Oliver Ekman-Larsson (FLA)
McAvoy's match penalty for this hit on Ekman-Larsson came midway through the third period, and he was subsequently suspended for four games for an illegal check to the head. Ekman-Larsson did not play the rest of the game but was back in Florida's lineup two nights later against the Detroit Red Wings.
Oct. 27, 2023: Connor Clifton (BUF) - Illegal Check to the Head of Nico Hischier (NJD)
New Jersey's Ondrej Palat received an instigator penalty and a game misconduct for fighting Clifton after he laid this head-hit on Hischier late in the first period of this game. Hischier did return for the second period but did not play the third and subsequently missed 11 games with an upper-body injury. After receiving his match penalty, Clifton was suspended for two games for the illegal check to the head.
Oct. 10, 2023: Brett Howden (VGK) - Illegal Check to the Head of Brandon Tanev (SEA)
On opening night, Brett Howden was written up for an illegal check to the head of Seattle's Brandon Tanev. Tanev did not return that night and was sidelined for 14 games with what was termed a lower-body injury. Howden was subsequently suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head.
Key Takeaways
This season's match penalties fall into three categories: illegal head hits, cross-checks and slew-foots. And the first two incidents of the year — Howden's headshot on Tanev and Clifton's on Hischier — resulted in the most serious injuries, at least until we see what happens with Dennis Gilbert after his scary fall last week.
After the season began with players doing dangerous things that were knocking important players to the sidelines, it makes sense that the officials may have been directed to be extra vigilant and willing to call match penalties any time they saw a play that could cause an unfortunate injury — whether or not the victim was harmed.
During his interview with The Hockey News for the 2023 Money and Power Issue, director of player safety George Parros explained that communication is an important element of his mandate.
"I do like the education aspect of this," he said. "We tell them how we operate. Let them understand who is making the decisions and how we make them. There's education throughout the year, too. There are things I do off the radar - I do reach out and issue warnings for plays that are close. A lot of times, those can be educational, for the player's benefit."
Some years, Parros directs the officials to crack down on certain types of infractions. In the past, for example, we've seen an increased emphasis on slashing and cross-checking calls.
At one time, match penalties were only called on egregiously dangerous plays. This season's calls suggest that officials may have been encouraged to use this tool more often, even without a bad injury outcome on the ice.
The good news is that the education element does seem to be working. Seven of this year's nine match penalties came before the end of November, so the frequency of these types of careless and dangerous plays has dropped as the season has gone along.
The question now: Will players continue to mind their manners as playoff races heat up even more during the second half of the year?
