Radko Gudas suspended six games for hit on Austin Czarnik (Video)

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has suspended Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas six games for a high check on Boston Bruins forward Austin Czarnik.

The play in question came at the 5:47 mark of the third period in the Flyers’ Saturday exhibition game at the Bruins. Gudas was initially give a two-minute minor for boarding, but the Department of Player Safety believed the play merited further discipline, as explained in the video. Czarnik suffered an injury on the play.

“Well after the puck is gone, Gudas delivers a high, forceful hit to Czarnik that makes significant head contact. This is interference,” Player Safety said. “Players who are not in possession of the puck are never eligible to be checked. However, the interference rule provides a brief window during which a player who initiates a hit while his opponent is in possession of the puck may legally finish a hit. This is not such a case. Gudas initiates this hit after the puck is gone and contact is made outside the allowable window, during which a player may finish a check. In fact at the moment contact is made, Bruins defenseman Christian Ehrhoff is in possession of the puck at the point.”

Player safety added, “It is a combination of the lateness of this hit and the forceful and substantial head contact that forces this hit to rise to the level of supplemental discipline.”

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Earlier in the preseason, Gudas delivered a questionable hit on New York Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey, but escaped discipline.

On Sunday, Gudas was offered an in-person hearing, which usually means a suspension for more than five games. The Department of Player Safety references Gudas’ prior history of supplemental discipline as a reason for the length of this suspension. Last December he was suspended three games for an illegal check of Mika Zibanejad.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper