NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Avalanche Matt Stienburg

The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Stienburg two games for an incident from last night's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. With less than two minutes remaining in the second period, Stienburg caught Erik Cernak of the Lightning with a heavy hit that immediately called for a five-minute major penalty and an automatic game misconduct. The hit drew immediate attention, and after a very detailed review by league officials, it also spurred a great deal of discussion among fans and analysts alike.

Stienburg came in hard on Cernak along the boards, launching into a hit that had both of his skates off the ice. It was big enough to keep Cernak out for the rest of the game. Per the rulebook, hits in which a player leaves his feet to deliver contact are illegal, unless done so as part of natural momentum from a collision, an exemption the Department of Player Safety deemed did not apply here. So Cernak left the game early with worrisome symptoms and does not appear to have a clear timeline for return.

Following the game, Jon Cooper was cautiously optimistic about Cernak's near-term prognosis without having any real update on his condition. Cooper underlined the aspect of player safety, more so because Cernak had injured himself earlier. His words were shared across the board as fans and hockey analysts alike sought to be severe in measures that would curtail potential players from dangerous hits.

This ruling by the NHL underlines the commitment of the organization to taking the element of recklessness out of on-ice play. Matt Stienburg is a tough player who has already gained notoriety for his hard-nosed playing style, including an early-season fight with Calgary's Nikita Zadorov. He was reminded of the boundaries around physicality in the sport. The suspension will thus keep him out of the lineup for a few games, something that might prove to be a challenge for the Avalanche as the team works its way through the early part of the schedule.

This could be looked at in a number of ways about this incident, showing the fine balance of physicality and safety in hockey, something for which the league still keeps a close eye. It will send an awfully strong message to Matt Stienburg and the rest of the league that player safety comes first, and aggressive plays need to be put in check. The Avalanche need to find ways without Stienburg, and Tampa Bay will be praying for Erik Cernak's full recovery as soon as possible.