Florida Panthers forward William Lockwood will think twice before hitting a goalie.
In fact, he was suspended for three games by the National Hockey League (NHL) after he made a gesture toward goaltender Marc-André Fleury during Friday night's matchup between the Panthers and the Minnesota Wild. In the first period, the Quebecer was trying to control the puck behind his goal when he took a heavy hit from Lockwood.
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Florida's William Lockwood was suspended three games for interfering with goaltender Minnesota's Marc-Andre Fleury. https://t.co/dGC5RdMphK
– NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 21, 2024
The second-ranked player with the most goaltending wins in the NHL then collapsed on the ice and several of his teammates came to his aid. Apparently, forward Brandon Duhaime threw the gloves off the Panthers player after the incident, and he just wasn't up to the fight.
As a reminder, Fleury left the game in the second half with an upper-body injury.