Florida's Jesse Puljujarvi To Face Suspension After Illegal Hit

Jesse Puljujarvi has had a whirlwind 18 months in the NHL, as he's played on three separate teams plus a stint in Europe in that time, but now, it appears he's settled in with the Panthers.

While he's played most of his time in the organization with the AHL's Charlotte Checkers, he has played in five games at the NHL level, and on Tuesday night he had another opportunity.

In a matchup with the upcoming playoff rival the Tampa Bay Lightning, Puljujarvi was looking to make an impact, but unfortunately in doing so, he illegally took down Mitchell Chaffee with a disgusting shot to the head.

Unsurprisingly, he was given a match penalty for the hit, and now, the NHL's Department of Player Safety has confirmed that the young forward will have a hearing on Thursday.

While the DoPS has taken plenty of criticism for their inconsistency as of late, there should be absolutely no doubting that there's a suspension on the way for Puljujarvi, who made it clear he was looking to hit Chaffee right in the head with immense force and no attempt to hit him anywhere else on the body.

Puljujarvi is likely headed back to the AHL for the Calder Cup Playoffs, but he'll likely do so on the back of a suspension that should last a few games, but with that inconsistency, we will have to wait and see whether it's a slap on the wrist or a significant suspension for the young forward.

*UPDATE :
Puljujarvi of Panthers suspended 2 games for illegal check to head