The NHL’s player safety department has handed down one-game suspensions to Calgary Flames forward John Beecher and Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley for separate roughing incidents. Beecher threw a punch at Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron while he was being held back by officials during the first period of Calgary’s 4-3 defeat on Saturday. The punch was delivered as McCarron started swinging at Beecher during a scuffle near the Flames’ bench. Beecher, aged 24, was penalized with a roughing minor and a 10-minute misconduct and later exited the game due to an injury sustained while fighting Nashville’s Nic Hague in the second period.
On the other hand, Stanley was penalized for throwing a punch without a glove at Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk during the second period of Winnipeg’s 4-2 loss on Saturday. The 27-year-old Stanley received roughing and illegal equipment minor penalties, while Tkachuk, reacting angrily to the incident, was given a 10-minute misconduct penalty. Both Beecher and Stanley, with 155 and 242 games played respectively, had not faced suspensions or fines in their NHL careers before these incidents.