Luke Kunin Gets Match Penalty for Hit to the Head of Patric Hornqvist

If the NHL is ever going to be serious about limiting checks to the head, taking hits like this one seriously is a great start. And from what we have seen from the Department of Player Safety the past few years, they don't.

Kunin was assessed a match penalty for an illegal check to the head, and the Panthers were awarded a five-minute powerplay on which they converted once.

Hornqvist is confirmed to be dealing with a head issue after the fact (I wonder what that could be), and the Panthers have had to recall a forward from the AHL to take his spot for now. Considering the severity of the hit, it was perhaps a surprise not to see any supplemental discipline handed out. One could deduce that Parros and co. found the match penalty and the loss his team suffered to be sufficient enough.

These two teams do meet again on Thursday February 9, so that could be a game to circle on the calendar. Sure to feature some rough stuff.

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