Greg WyshynskiDec 31, 2025, 12:35 PM ET
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN's senior NHL writer.
Florida Panthers forward Brad Marchand will neither be fined nor suspended by the NHL for his elbow to the head of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson on Tuesday night.
In overtime, Matheson was taken to the boards by Florida center Sam Bennett. As he played the puck, Matheson was then checked by Marchand, whose right elbow contacted with Matheson's head.
Marchand was given a 2-minute roughing minor penalty at 1:27 of overtime. Nick Suzuki scored on the power-play at 3:24 to complete the Canadiens' comeback for the victory.
According to a league source, there was a sense that Marchand's hit didn't rise to the level of supplemental discipline due to the force of the hit and because it was penalized within the game.
Marchand has a significant supplemental discipline history with the NHL Department of Player Safety, but his last suspension came in 2021. He was fined earlier this season for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Buffalo Sabres. Prior to that, his last fine was in February 2023.
The timing of this decision caught attention because the Panthers' next game is the 2026 Winter Classic at loanDepot Park in Miami on Jan. 2 against the New York Rangers, with Marchand as one of the game's marquee names.
