Blackhawks forward suspended two games after egregious hit to the head of Bo Horvat

The play happened late in the third period of Thursday's 4-1 Islanders win at UBS Arena. Horvat was shooting the puck into an empty net from his own end when Nazar delivered the hit at 18:27.

A scrum broke out between the two teams, and Nazar received a five-minute match penalty and was ejected.

Horvat did not return after scoring his empty-net goal, and Islanders coach Peter DeBoer said the captain was still being evaluated for a possible injury.

Early reports suggested he looked fine right after the hit, but sitting out the final 93 seconds keeps his availability in question.

Because the hearing was held by phone, the maximum possible punishment was limited to five games or a fine. A two-game ban sits toward the lower end of that range.

Nazar has been among the Blackhawks' most productive forwards early in 2026-27. He leads the team with two goals through five games and has added an assist, along with 22 penalty minutes. Across 127 career games in Chicago, the 22-year-old has 30 goals and 41 assists for 71 points.

The punishment is also the first of his career, according to Gino Hard. That matters because a clean record is a factor the league considers when deciding how long a ban should be.

Chicago must now reshuffle its forward lines for the next two games, which removes a key piece from the lineup early in the season. Nazar becomes eligible to return once he serves the suspension, and the Blackhawks will need him to play with discipline when he does.

For the Islanders, the bigger concern is the health of their captain. Any update on Horvat's condition will shape how this story is remembered, and both fan bases will be watching closely over the coming days.

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