Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand will sit out the remainder of the regular season after being suspended two games by the NHL on Thursday for spearing Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Jake Dotchin.
Marchand was assessed a major penalty for spearing and a game misconduct after leveling Dotchin in the groin with 40 seconds remaining in the first period of Tuesday’s game. The Bruins went on to clinch a postseason berth with a 4-0 victory over the Lightning.
Marchand, who had a meeting with NHL Player Safety on Thursday morning, is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. He will forfeit $109,756.10 based on his average annual salary.
The 28-year-old Nova Scotia native has been suspended five times in his career. He was also fined $10,000 in January for a dangerous trip on Detroit Red Wings defenseman Niklas Kronwall.
Marchand has set career-high totals in goals (39), assists (46) and points (85) while playing in 80 games this season. He will miss Thursday’s contest against the Ottawa Senators and Saturday’s regular-season finale versus the Washington Capitals.