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The NHL community is abuzz with discussion following the news of Florida Panthers winger William Lockwood’s three-game suspension for his hit on Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc Andre Fleury.
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This incident occurred in the first period of the Jan. 19 game, leading to Lockwood receiving a minor interference penalty. However, the NHL's department of player safety deemed the play serious enough to warrant a punishment.
Lockwood’s suspension has ignited a debate among fans on social media platforms, alleging inconsistencies in the NHL's disciplinary actions. A fan posted:
“Nick cousins gets nothing for all of his sh*t. Ekblad doesn’t even get a hearing for his high dirty hit. Lockwood gets THREE GAMES for hitting Fleury for what was a normal penalty with unlucky head contact.”
The alleged inconsistent punishment by the NHL for more severe infractions committed by other players has left fans feeling puzzled and uncertain.
Lockwood will lose $12,109.38 in salary as a penalty. The money will go to the Players Emergency Assistance Fund
Here are some fan reactions to William Lockwood’s three-game suspension:
The Wild won 6-4 in Friday’s game against the Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. Fleury is injured (upper body) and will miss the next game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
William Lockwood’s performance this season so far
William Lockwood has only managed to contribute an assist in the span of 23 games, which remains his only point.
He has a +2 plus-minus rating on the ice. However, his penalty minutes add up to 14, indicating his physicality to the game, although the Panthers would prefer it if those minutes didn't result in power plays against them.
Lockwood isn't hesitant when it comes to taking shots on goal, with a total of 18 attempts. On average, he spends 8:22 minutes on the ice per game, and this limited role can also be seen in his ice time for the season, which amounts to 192:36.
The absence of power-play goals (PPG), power-play assists (PPA), goals (SHG), short-handed assists (SHA) and game-winning goals (GWG) in Lockwood’s record indicate that he hasn't been provided with chances in those situations.
