Update: Howden Suspended Two Games After Match Penalty

Update: Brett Howden has been suspended for two games by the NHL Player Safety Department for his illegal check to the head of Seattle’s Brandon Tanev.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on the team’s Stanley Cup banner-raising ceremony Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena. Brett Howden received a match penalty for illegal head contact to Brandon Tanev with 14 minutes remaining in the third period.

The NHL rulebook states, “In addition to the match penalty, the player shall be automatically suspended from further competition until the Commissioner has ruled.”

Howden was on the second line with Mark Stone and Chandler Stephenson which was the Golden Knights’ best line of the game. Howden set up Chandler Stephenson’s goal in the first period and the second line generated a number of high-quality scoring chances.

Howden had 10 points in 22 playoff games after getting just 13 points in 55 regular season games last year.

William Carrier left Tuesday’s contest with an upper-body injury which coach Bruce Cassidy labeled as possibly being serious. Pavel Dorofeyev figures to draw in if Carrier is expected to miss time. Jakub Demek was just signed to an entry level contract with the Golden Knights over the weekend and could draw in to Thursday’s game if Carrier and Howden are both out.

Another option is sending Demek to the Henderson Silver Knights of the AHL and calling up Brendan Brisson to make his NHL debut.