Florida Panthers Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov Suspended

Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov was suspended two games for an illegal check to the head delivered to Tampa Bay Lightning forward Conor Sheary.

In a 5-3 loss on Saturday night, Kulikov delivered a check to the head of Sheary seconds before Josh Mahura picked the puck up and scored.

Kulikov will miss Florida’s games Thursday against Nashville and Saturday’s nationally-televised game against the New York Rangers.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Kulikov will forfeit $10,416.66 in salary.

The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Kulikov was initially given a match penalty for the hit; Mahura’s goal was taken off the board upon review of the play.

Per the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, Kulikov “saw Sheary in a vulnerable position” and “ignored the puck entirely” before he “leaned into the head and made it the main point of contact on a hit where such contact was avoidable.”

Kulikov was last suspended during the 2014-15 season in his first tour with the Panthers, getting four games for a hit on Tyler Seguin of the Dallas Stars which resulted in a knee injury.

Monday, Florida coach Paul Maurice said newly-acquired defenseman Rudy Bjornfot could make his debut with the Panthers on Thursday.

Bjornfot was picked up off waivers on March 8 just before the NHL Trade Deadline from Vegas.

Florida currently has six healthy — and non-suspended — defensemen on the roster with Aaron Ekblad out with injury.

Ekblad skated prior to Florida’s practice Monday.

The Panthers could recall a defenseman such as Uvis Balinskis from AHL Charlotte prior to Thursday.

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ON DECK

NASHVILLE PREDATORS @ FLORIDA PANTHERS

• When: Thursday, 7:30 p.m.
• Where: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise 
• Streaming ONLY: ESPN+, Hulu
• Radio: WPOW 96.5 FM-2; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL app
• Season Series (Florida Leads 1-0) — At Nashville: Panthers 4, Predators 1 (Jan. 22). At Florida: Thursday.
• Last Season: Nashville won 2-0
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 22-14-6, 3 ties
• Up Next for the Panthers: Saturday, March 23 at New York Rangers, 8 p.m. (ABC)