Mikhail Sergachev suspended two games for his illegal check to Mitch Marner’s head

UPDATE: Mikhail Sergachev has been suspended two games for the hit. Sergachev will forfeit $48,000 in salary for the suspension.

Mikhail Sergachev will have a hearing with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on Friday for his illegal check to the head of Mitch Marner.

The hit occurred late in the first period of Thursday night’s game between the Lightning and Maple Leafs. Marner skated into Tampa Bay’s zone on a breakaway, was slowed up on a hook by defenseman Victor Hedman, and Sergachev came in and caught the Maple Leafs forward with a shoulder check to the head.

Hedman received a two-minute penalty for hooking and Sergachev was also handed a minor penalty for an illegal check to the head. Marner didn’t leave the game and wound up playing 25:27 as the Leafs won 2-1 in overtime.

Toronto captain John Tavares took exception to the play, immediately coming to Marner’s defense.

“I thought it was dirty,” Tavares told TSN’s Mark Masters during the first intermission. “Clips him right in the head. Just want to go in there and be there for my teammate. I just didn’t like the hit.”

Marner said after the game that Sergachev apologized to him for the hit.