Chicago Blackhawks Hit With Brutal NHL Suspension News

Chicago Blackhawks forward Frank Nazar received a two-game suspension Friday from the NHL for an illegal check to the head of New York Islanders captain Bo Horvat.

The Department of Player Safety issued the ban after a phone hearing. Nazar will sit out Saturday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes and Tuesday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He can return Oct. 15 against the Winnipeg Jets.

The play happened at 18:25 of the third period Thursday at UBS Arena. The Islanders led 3-1 with Chicago’s net empty. Horvat fired the puck down the ice for an empty-net goal. Nazar skated in and struck Horvat in the head with his left shoulder. Officials called a match penalty, a five-minute major plus a game misconduct.

Horvat did not return. Islanders coach Pete DeBoer said Friday that the captain remains under evaluation after concussion protocol. Horvat scored twice in the 4-1 win and earned first-star honors. He leads the Islanders with four goals and five points in four games after being named captain in September.

Nazar, 22, drew his first career suspension in 127 NHL games. The Blackhawks drafted him 13th overall in 2022. He has 30 goals and 41 assists for 71 points in his career.

He has three points on two goals and one assist in five games this season while averaging 18:50 of ice time. That includes a goal late in Thursday’s game. Last season he set a career high with 41 points (15 goals, 26 assists) in 66 games.

Under the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average annual salary of roughly $6.6 million, Nazar forfeits $68,041.14. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

The Blackhawks already miss injured forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Andrew Mangiapane. Nazar’s absence further thins the group and could force a call-up from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. It is the first suspension of a Blackhawks player since Brett Connolly received four games in December 2021.

The hit sparked a scrum. Islanders players converged quickly, and several received misconducts. Nazar’s clean record helped limit the ban to two games. Phone hearings carry a maximum of five games.

The Blackhawks stand 1-4-0 and sit near the bottom of the league in points percentage. They face the defending Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes next with reduced forward depth.

Nazar’s recent form had improved after a quiet start. He posted three points in his previous two games before the suspension.

The Islanders host Tampa Bay on Saturday. Horvat’s status stays uncertain as the team awaits further medical updates.

League officials continue to review head-contact plays closely. Nazar’s suspension follows the standard process for an illegal check where the head is the main point of contact and the contact was avoidable.

The Blackhawks next play Tuesday at home against Pittsburgh before Nazar’s eligibility returns against Winnipeg.