Washington Capitals Roster Rumors 2016: Marcus Johansson Suspended for Illegal Check
The play that led to Washington Capitals' forward Marcus Johansson's suspension was without a doubt excessive and uncalled for, which is why the league decided to hand him down a two-game suspension to which officials refer to as an "illegal check" to the head of New York Islanders' Thomas Hickey.
The penalty in itself is no surprise because the NHL has shown its commitment to curbing illegal hits in the ice. However, what's really interesting is the fact that Johansson is never really known as a dirty player. Well, he did have an unblemished track record before this one, never been suspended in his career and had only two trips to the penalty box this year.
As a recipient of the hit, Hickey believes that Johansson didn't intentionally try to hurt him. "He's not a dirty player, but maybe it was a dirty hit. Like I said, I don't think he's got bad intentions," he told the Washington Post.
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The suspension, which was announced by the league on Friday, means that 25-year-old will lose $40,322.58 of his salary.
While Johansson is the unlikeliest player to be suspended, the Capitals as a team are no stranger to suspensions, though. This one is the second for this week after forward Zach Sill was suspended as well for hitting Boston Bruins defenseman Adam McQuaid high in their game last Tuesday. Washington won that one, 3-2.
The hit happened in the first period of the Capitals' 4-1 win, with Johansson given a two-minute minor after that. Although Hickey went out to be evaluated, he actually returned to finish the game. Hickey was trying to clear the puck from the center when Johansson hit him with his forearm, with the video clearly showing that he was aiming at the head.
Johansson's suspension is a big blow to Washington, with him currently fifth in the team in scoring with 26 and fourth in assists with 16.
