The National Hockey League issued a five-game suspension to Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin on Friday evening after he struck Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the head with his stick during Thursday night’s game.
The disciplinary action will result in Malkin forfeiting $158,854.15 in salary, which will be donated to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund according to the league’s collective bargaining agreement terms.
The incident occurred just 35 seconds into the second period of Pittsburgh’s 4-1 defeat to Buffalo on Thursday. Officials penalized Malkin with a minor penalty for cross-checking, a major penalty for slashing, and ejected him from the game with a misconduct penalty.
Game footage revealed the altercation began when both players collided near Buffalo’s goal. After Dahlin delivered a cross-check that earned him a penalty, Malkin retaliated by lifting his stick and hitting Dahlin’s helmet and shoulder area.
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety determined that Malkin’s actions were deliberate, stating he maintained his balance throughout the incident and the contact was intentional.
This marks the third suspension in Malkin’s lengthy career. The 39-year-old veteran previously sat out one game in February 2019 for high-sticking Philadelphia’s Michael Raffl and missed four games in April 2022 for cross-checking Nashville’s Mark Borowiecki. He has also received five fines during his time in the league.
Malkin has recorded 13 goals and 47 total points through 46 games this season. Over his two-decade NHL career spent entirely with Pittsburgh, he has accumulated 527 goals and 1,393 points.
The suspension creates additional challenges for Pittsburgh, who currently hold second place in the Metropolitan Division while competing for playoff positioning. The team is already managing without captain Sidney Crosby, who will miss at least four weeks due to a lower-body injury.
