Panthers Defenseman Dmitry Kulikov Suspended for Ruthless Check to the Head of Connor Sheary

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James Connelly
March 18, 2024 (5:34 PM)

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Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov laid a vicious hit on rival forward Conor Sheary and he has now been suspended for his actions.

The NHL Department of Player Safety just announced its verdict for Dmitry Kulikov, the Florida Panthers defenseman who laid a dangerous hit recently.

Florida's Dmitry Kulikov has been suspended for two games for an illegal check to the head on Tampa Bay's Conor Sheary.

Here is the shocking video of the incident:

Dmitry Kulikov gets a match penalty for an illegal check to the head AND Florida gets their goal waived off 😅

Kulikov is in his second stint with the Panthers having been drafted by the franchise originally back in 2009 and now coming back in quest of the Stanley Cup.

Fans Reaction To Dmitry Kulikov's Hit

Fans had mixed reactions to Kulikov's hit. Here are a couple of the takes.

Slow motion makes it look 10x worse than it really was. Gets shoulder first, and Sheary is kind of falling back at the same time. This wasn't intentional, but there was head contact, so I understand the call. I wouldn't call this dirty, just unfortunate.

Sad. Elbow tucked in, Tampa guy falling into path of his elbow. C'mon

Wow double standard huh? Guess the crest on the chest is what determines suspension length right?

Wow! That video from @NHLPlayerSafety actually made sense. Now consistency pls!

Fans certainly want to see more consistency out of the Department of Player Safety but given the nature of the hit, it seems like two games is a fair suspension. Most of the consistency complaints come from New York Rangers fans asking for clarification on why Matt Rempe got four games while Kulikov got only two.

Why only 2? Rempe got 4. Please explain?

Hopefully, in the future, Kulikov will make safer plays as not only is he being punished for this play but his opponent could experience much harsher consequences if the hit lands the wrong way.