Artemi Panarin will miss the New York Rangers‘ final three games of the regular season due to an injury suffered on Monday night during an on-ice brawl incited by Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson.
Panarin, who was thrown to the ice multiple times by Wilson during the skirmish, left the game with what the team called a lower-body injury.
Rangers head coach David Quinn confirmed to reporters on Tuesday that Panarin would not return to the team’s lineup this season and that the injury was a result of what happened during Monday’s game.
Quinn also expressed disappointment with the punishment, or lack thereof, handed out to Wilson in the wake of the scuffle. Wilson was fined $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety for roughing Rangers forward Pavel Buchnevich.
"To me, anybody in hockey – certainly everybody in our organization – is very disappointed," Quinn said. "We certainly thought it warranted a suspension. We’re just really disappointed. A line was crossed: Guy didn’t have his helmet on, vulnerable, he got hurt. To me, it was an awful lot there to suspend him."
The entire incident happened after Capitals goalie Vitek Vanecek saved a shot during the second period. With players jostling in the Washington crease, Wilson began punching Buchnevich, who was facedown on the ice, in the back of the head. In the ensuing shoving, Wilson slammed Panarin to the ice multiple times.
Wilson was assessed four penalty minutes for roughing along with a 10-minute misconduct.
Panarin had two assists in 10:40 of ice time on Monday before being forced to leave. In 42 games with the Rangers this season, the 29-year-old has 17 goals and 41 assists.
— With files from The Associated Press
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