Ottawa Senators forward Hayden Hodgson now has a two-game suspension on his record. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety didn’t waste any time, handing down the ban Friday for Hodgson’s charging and boarding foul against Los Angeles Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke. The ruling came after a disciplinary hearing with Hodgson, making it clear the league wasn’t messing around with this dangerous play.
The Play That Shook the Ice
What went down on the ice was rough, no two ways about it. Hodgson, despite being a 30-year-old playing only his 24th game in the league, lined up Clarke from several strides away. Then, he absolutely drove the Kings’ defenseman’s head right into the glass midway through their game Thursday night in LA. Seriously, it was brutal. The officials didn’t hesitate, hitting Hodgson with a five-minute major penalty for boarding and ejecting him with a game misconduct. Clarke, man, he didn’t even come back to the game. Good news, though, he was out there practicing Friday. You gotta wonder what’s going through a guy’s head to make a hit like that.
A History of Recklessness
Here’s the real problem: this isn’t Hodgson’s first time finding trouble with the NHL’s rulebook. Think back to October 2025: he was already fined the maximum $2,018 allowed under the collective bargaining agreement for boarding Montreal’s Alex Newhook in a preseason game. But that’s small potatoes compared to his American Hockey League record. We’re talking a long history of suspensions,a mind-boggling 20 games worth over the last five seasons in the AHL, for elbowing and other straight-up garbage offenses. Twenty games! In five seasons! The guy clearly hasn’t learned. This latest suspension hits his wallet too, as he’ll forfeit $8,763 in salary. It’s a tough look for a player trying to make his mark in the big league.
Hodgson is gonna miss the Senators’ games Saturday at San Jose and Sunday at Anaheim. He’s eligible to return Wednesday at Buffalo. To fill the gap, the Senators have called up wingers Xavier Bourgault and Philip Tomasino from Belleville of the AHL. It’s a tough look for the Senators, dealing with this kind of reckless play early in the season. You gotta wonder if this latest ban will finally get through to him, or if we’ll see another one down the line.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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