"Nothing for Cousins?": Erik Gudbranson's 1-game suspension has fans in limbo regarding suspension to Panthers center 

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson received a one-game suspension for his retaliation toward Florida Panthers' Nick Cousins during their 5-2 loss at home on Sunday, leaving fans in limbo regarding the decision.

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced the suspension of Gudbranson under rule 46.2 (Aggressor) for an altercation with Cousins on Monday on their official X account.

The incident took place during the third period when Florida had the upper hand in the game with a leading scoreline of 2-1. The hit by Nick Cousins sent Gudbranson's face into the end of the boards with a heavy force.

Initially, Cousins was issued a five-minute major penalty for boarding before the officials eventually reduced it to a two-minute minor after reviewing the video. However, the call outraged Gidbranson, the Blue Jackets bench, and the home fans, resulting in a high-temperature matchup following that.

Following the initial hit, the 6-foot-5 (222 lbs) defenseman retaliated by slamming Nick Cousins into the glass behind the Blue Jackets net. Six minutes later, the Blue Jackets defenseman, while skating backward inside his blue zone, spotted Cousins and instigated another altercation.

Erik Gudbranson grabbed Cousins with a beer hug and took him down on the ice. The Blue Jackets defenseman landed some heavy blows while Cousins was down on the ice covering his head. It took several linemen and Panthers players to take Gudbranson off Cousins.

Notably, Gudbranson notched up 27 penalty minutes for his antics in the game. Fans were quick to react to Gudbranson's one-game suspension as they took to X, formerly Twitter, to express their thoughts.

One fan tweeted:

"Nothing for Cousins? You should be ashamed of yourselves. Absolutely pathetic."

Here are some more reactions on X:

How has Erik Gudbranson fared at the Columbus Blue Jackets?

St Louis Blues v Columbus Blue Jackets

Erik Gudbranson has notched up 10 points through two goals and eight assists in 27 games for the Blue Jackets this season. He's clocked 19:33 minutes of ice time and has recorded 40 penalty minutes.

With the one-game suspension for his antics against Nick Cousins of the Florida Panthers, the Blue Jackets will be without Gudbranson in Tuesday's matchup against the Seattle Kraken.

Gudbranson was drafted with the No. 3 pick by the Panthers in the 2010 NHL draft. He spent five seasons with the Cats and went on to play for multiple teams. Erik Gudbranson has been with the Blue Jackets since the 2022-23 season.

Overall, he's accumulated 117 points through 30 goals and 87 points in 738 career games.