Dallas forward Ryan Garbutt has been suspended five games for his headshot on Anaheim’s Dustin Penner in a 6-3 loss on Sunday, the NHL has announced.
Garbutt, 28, wasn’t originally penalized on the hit, one that temporarily knocked Penner out and forced him to leave the game. The veteran Ducks winger didn’t travel with the team on its current eight-game road swing, staying in Orange County for further evaluation and concussion testing.
“Garbutt, having traveled a distance, launches himself up and into Penner,” explained NHL discipline czar Brendan Shanahan. “Having just left the penalty box, Garbutt enters his own team’s zone to take up his defensive position. As he sees Penner beat his man off the wall and cut to the middle, Garbutt, who is gliding, shuffles his skates to pick up speed.
“He then clearly leaps into his check, causing his own head to crash into Penner’s head.”
Here’s the video:
Garbutt will forfeit $14,743.60 in salary to the Players’ Emergency Relief Fund, and miss Dallas’ upcoming games against Calgary, Winnipeg, Buffalo, Montreal and Colorado.
