The opening game of the Eastern Conference Final between the Florida Panthers and the Carolina Hurricanes was everything hockey fans anticipated—fierce, physical, and fiercely competitive. As the intensity soared at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, the spotlight quickly shifted from the electrifying pace of play to a moment that left the crowd and viewers in disbelief.

In the third period, a controversial collision unfolded when Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov delivered a knee to the head of Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, igniting outrage and debate across the hockey community. While both teams are no strangers to hard-nosed playoff hockey, this particular incident stood out, drawing comparisons to some of the most debated hits in recent postseason memory.

Yet, in a move that has stunned players, coaches, and fans alike, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety has decided not to issue any further punishment to Svechnikov. With emotions running high and tensions set to escalate, the decision has only added more fuel to the fire, ensuring that the remainder of this series will be watched with even greater scrutiny and anticipation.

Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images

Andrei Svechnikov hit Sergei Bobrovsky in the head with a dirty knee, but now it’s been revealed that there will no further punishment by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety in a surprising move.

The Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes battled it out in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and unsurprisingly knowing these two teams, it was an absolutely brutal matchup with plenty of intensity and physicality.

There were a few instances in the game that raised the eyebrows of fans, but perhaps the biggest was the hit from Andrei Svechnikov on Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, with fans calling out the fact that he clearly and intentionally hit the head of the opposing goalie.

Many called it out for being a dirty play and calling it worse than the Sam Bennett hit to the head of Anthony Stolarz, but for those expecting punishment, it doesn’t appear that any will be on the way.

According to reporter Eric Engels, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety is not expected to dish out any additional punishment for the hit on Bobrovsky, even though it appeared to be a dirty, late and incredibly unnecessary play from the veteran Svechnikov.

Given what we’ve seen from the DoPS throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the thought was that this one would at least result in a fine, but apparently, he will get away with this one, for now.

It’s likely that the Panthers won’t forget this play, and after Brad Marchand and Shane Gostisbehere dropped the gloves later in this game, plenty of grudges are brewing in this series, so don’t expect Game 2 to be any less physical.