Eric Gudbranson Set To Have A Hearing With The DoPS After Massive Altercation

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Hunter Bowman
December 11, 2023 (9:44)

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What a chaotic situation unfolded here. Erik Gudbranson from the Columbus Blue Jackets is set for a hearing today with the NHL's Department of Player Safety. The reason? An incident where he jumped Nick Cousins of the Florida Panthers.

Gudbranson wasn't pleased after taking a hit from Cousins into the boards earlier in the game, a hit that surprisingly didn't draw a penalty.

Taking matters into his own hands, Gudbranson confronted Cousins on the ice later in the game, hauling him down and delivering a barrage of punches while Cousins tried to defend himself. Gudbranson ended up with a game misconduct, and Player Safety has initiated a hearing under the rarely used rule 46.2.

According to the rule, ""The aggressor in an altercation shall be the player who continues to throw punches in an attempt to inflict punishment on his opponent who is in a defenseless position or who is an unwilling combatant.

A player must be deemed the aggressor when he has clearly won the fight but he continues throwing and landing punches in a further attempt to inflict punishment and/or injury on his opponent who is no longer in a position to defend himself."

While Cousins hit might have deserved a penalty, it doesn't justify Gudbranson's response. Anticipating at least a couple of game suspensions for Gudbranson after this hearing, if not more, seems reasonable.

Source: Bladeofsteel