Chicago Blackhawks Forward Ejected After Nasty Boarding Penalty

Late in a blowout loss to the Buffalo Sabres Chicago Blackhawks forward Philipp Kurashev laid a massive hit on a forecheck. The hit was to the back of Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Johnson and sent Johnson crashing head-first into the boards.

Kurashev received a five-minute penalty and was ejected from the game. This left the Blackhawks down a forward in an already thin forward group for the rest of the night. The rest of the game was controlled by the Sabres but the longer-term problem for Chicago is the potential suspension heading Kurashev's way.

Often hits like these require a further meeting with the NHL and their Department of Player Safety. If this is the case for Kurashev he will face at least a fine and potentially a suspension from the NHL. If Kurashev is suspended it could be a disaster for Chicago.

The Blackhawks are already incredibly depleted up front. If Kurashev is suspended the Blackhawks could ice a roster that is one of the worst we will see all season. Luckily Connor Bedard got back on the ice recently and could be returning in the coming weeks. However, for the purposes of the Kurashev suspension, they would likely have to call someone up.

This situation will continue to develop over the coming days. As any updates are made available we will pass them along to you.