Jesse Puljujarvi suspended by NHL Player Safety

UPDATE: NHL Player Safety has suspended Florida Panthers forward Jesse Puljujarvi for two games for an illegal check to the head against Tampa Bay Lightning forward Mitchell Chaffee.

Here's the hit in question:

Read below for our earlier report, published by Hockey Feed staff writer Chris Gosselin as events occurred.

Jesse Puljujarvi has landed in trouble and it looks like the Florida Panthers had already anticipated it.

On Wednesday morning, the Panthers announced that they had loaned Puljujarvi, along with forward Rasmus Asplund and defenseman Matt Kiersted to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.

Hours later, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced that Puljujarvi will have a hearing tomorrow for an illegal check to the head against Tampa Bay Lightning’s Mitchell Chaffee.

The incident took place in Tuesday night’s game before the Panthers forward was assessed a match penalty for a hit to the head of Chaffee. In the third period of Florida’s 5-1 loss, Chaffee received the puck in the offensive zone, and a crossing Puljujarvi put his shoulder into his head, knocking the Lightning forward to the ice.

Immediately after the play, the two teams got into a scrum and Panthers forward Nico Sturm and Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons dropped the gloves and fought.

Puljujarvi was only skating in his fifth game with the Panthers since joining the organization on an American Hockey League PTO in February and later signing a two-way deal. He had been playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier in the season before having his contract terminated.

He has dressed for five of the team’s last six games as the Panthers rest players ahead of the postseason. Puljujarvi recorded one goal with the Panthers, along with three goals and six assists in 26 games from his time with the Penguins.