Insider blasts NHL Player Safety ruling on Jason Zucker boarding of Nick Cousins - "Cousins played them"

Sportsnet hockey insider Mark Spector blasted NHL Player Safety for imposing a harsh penalty on Arizona Coyotes' Jason Zucker for boarding Florida Panthers Nick Cousins during Tuesday's matchup.

On Wednesday, NHL's DOPS announced a three-game suspension penalty for Jason Zucker for his hit on Nick Cousins. The situation between the two players heated up during the final minute of the second period.

Cousins initially launched a hit on Coyotes defenseman Juuso Valimaki while he was in a vulnerable position on the ice near the boards. Fortunately for the Coyotes, Valimaki had no adverse effects from the check.

Following the hit, Jason Zucker skated in and hit Cousins into the board. The hit shook Cousins, who then left the game and did not return to the ice. The Coyotes winger was given a major penalty for this play and his subsequent fight with Panthers' Gustav Forsling.

Cousins continued to stay away from Panthers' Wednesday practice, and head coach Paul Maurice explained his absence as concussion protocol.

Meanwhile, insider Mark Spector expressed his disappointment with the NHL Player Safety Department for its ruling on Zucker:

"Player Safety has lost the plot. Cousins played them."

In addition to the three-game suspension, Zucker will also forfeit $82,815 of his contract salary to the Players' Emergency Assistant Fund. The fine serves under a collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and its players.

The money collected from the fine goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. Notably, this also marked the first suspension for Jason Zucker in his 13-year career.

NHL Player Safety explains the Jason Zucker suspension

The NHL Player Safety Department, in its explanation for Jason Zucker's suspension, stated that the hit on Cousins occurred while he was defenseless and no longer in possession of the puck.

Earlier, the NHL Payer Safety Department fined Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman $4,427.08 for high-sticking Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti during Sunday's matchup between the Wild and Jets. The incident unfolded during the early frame of the first period.