Flyers’ Brandon Manning suspended two games for interference

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning has been suspended two games for interference after an illegal check to Jake Guentzel during the Stadium Series. 

During the 2017 Stadium Series game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins, some sparks got lit. Most of the sparks in question were due to a hit by Flyers defenseman Brandon Manning. He hit Jake Guentzel in the head. The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Manning for two games.

As the video notes, he makes significant head contact with Guentzel as he’s in the neutral zone. It’s a late hit as well, as Manning hits him well after he gets rid of the puck. That’s textbook interference. Manning hits him well outside the allowable limit of hitting a player without the puck.

His lack of history regarding supplemental discipline likely helped his case. Also helping Manning’s case is Guentzel did not suffer an injury during the play. Still, this is the kind of hit the NHL is trying to get out of hockey.

This seems to be an appropriate suspension for Manning. It’s not a terrible hit, but when you combine the hit to the head with its lateness, it’s definitely deserving of supplemental discipline. The hit could have been a lot worse. Manning will miss the next two games. During his suspension, the Flyers will face the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday and the Florida Panthers on Thursday.

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The Department of Player Safety does a great job in this case of punishing an action as opposed to its result. This kind of approach ought to be taken with all reviewed incidents. The result of the hit wasn’t bad, but it doesn’t make the hit legal. Usually hits that don’t injure opponents aren’t taken too seriously, but in this case, the hit was. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come.