The NHL has suspended New York Islanders rookie forward Maxim Tsyplakov for three games for what it deemed an illegal check to the head of Philadelphia Flyers center Ryan Poehling on Thursday in the Flyers’ 5-3 win at UBS Arena.
The incident occurred at 8:24 of the first period. A split second after Poehling took a shot on net on a short-handed rush, he was blindsided by Tsyplakov, went down in a heap, and eventually had to be helped off of the ice. After a brief video review, the on-ice officials deemed it a clean hit. Poehling did not return.
In a video explaining the punishment, the league said that Poehling’s head was the “main point of contact” and “was avoidable.” Tsyplakov, in his first NHL season, has no history of supplemental discipline.
NY Islanders’ Maxim Tsyplakov has been suspended for three games for an illegal check to the head against Philadelphia’s Ryan Poehling. https://t.co/Ijyvna8uon
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 17, 2025
Tsyplakov will miss the Islanders’ home games against the San Jose Sharks on Saturday and Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday, and will still be suspended for the Flyers-Islanders rematch on Friday, Jan. 24 on Long Island. The teams also meet at Wells Fargo Center on Jan. 30.
In the immediate aftermath of the hit, several Flyers players challenged Tsyplakov over the remainder of the first period. They refocused at the intermission, though, and a three-goal second period spurred them to a win.
“When you see a teammate go down like that, it’s never good, when it’s mostly your head getting kind of targeted,” Scott Laughton said after the Flyers practice on Friday in Newark, New Jersey. “I thought we did a good job, honestly. I think if (Tsyplakov) fights someone, it’s over with, and then you go about your business. But that didn’t happen, so it kind of went on all game. We’ll see what happens here with the league.”
Tsyplakov told The Hockey News that he thought it was “a good hit.”
“I didn’t think it was dirty, but I didn’t want to injure a guy. I hope he is okay. I think their team’s response is normal after this kind of hit.”
In 43 games this season, Poehling has 4 goals and 11 assists for 15 points, skating mostly as the fourth-line center. Flyers coach John Tortorella confirmed on Friday that Poehling will miss Saturday’s matinee with New Jersey with an upper-body injury. Laughton will likely shift to center, while Olle Lycksell will draw back into the lineup against the Devils.
Tsyplakov, 26, has 19 points (7 goals, 12 assists) in 44 games with the Islanders.
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(Photo: Mike Stobe / NHLI via Getty Images)
