Brayden Schenn Suspended 3 Games Next Season for Head Shot on TJ Oshie

By Peter Hassett On April 26, 2016  46 Comments

NHL: Preseason-Philadelphia Flyers at Washington Capitals

Brayden Schenn gets punched during 2014 preseason (Photo: Geoff Burke)

The NHL Department of Player Safety has suspended Philadelphia Flyers pest Brayden Schenn three games for his head shot on TJ Oshie in Game Six of the Capitals-Flyers series.

Since the Flyers season is, ya know, over, Schenn will serve his suspension at the start of the 2016-17 regular season.

In the DOPS video, the announcer emphasizes Schenn’s targeting of Oshie’s head. The contact with Oshie’s head is characterized as “significant” and “substantial.” Schenn’s movement is called a “launch.”

Schenn and Oshie had fought at the start of Game Five, apparent justice for Schenn’s axe-chop on Evgeny Kuznetsov’s legs.

This is the second suspension of the Caps-Flyers series. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare was suspended one game for boarding Dmitry Orlov.

The Capitals won the series in six games.



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  • LinLeas

    At least it’s something. Too bad he isn’t considered a “repeat offender.”

  • Matt Lauer

    A bad hit, to be sure. Clearly three times as dangerous as the hit on Orlov.

    “Department of Player Safety.” :/

  • Bilal Siddiqui

    isn’t he though? in the video they made a note about his history

  • LinLeas

    History and “repeat offender” are 2 different things when it comes to CBA and suspension things.

    “Repeat Offender” has a time limit on it and determines whether the player loses pay based on #of days or #of games.

    History factors into suspension lengths.

    Via NHL.com:
    A Player is considered a repeat offender for 18 months following his most recent incident that resulted in a suspension. His status as a repeat offender in this category is used to determine the amount of salary forfeited should he receive another suspension.

    It is important to note that even if a Player is not defined as a repeat offender, his past history may come into consideration when determining future Supplemental Discipline.

  • DoxinCalvert

    Another nail in the coffin for that referee crew. They shouldn’t work any more games this post-season.

  • Drummachine621

    What I also find comical is that Schenn “launched” and left his feet for another hit on Richards earlier in the series (that also goes unnoticed). Ovechkin has been suspended previously for throwing hits while “launching” or leaving his feet. The inconsistencies continue even with the whole Mojo suspension as well…..

    In summary, DoPS is a joke in my eyes. ZERO consistency and accountability.

  • Max

    At this point, the only part of that video I really care about is the “No Apparent Injury” bullet.

  • Drew Koslow

    Never saw this coming. So lame that they wait until the series is over to suspend him.

  • Larry

    They really need to start making these suspensions hurt if they want this out of the game. Give him 8 games and he’ll never pull that nonsense again. 3 games out of 82 in October means nothing.

  • John Shisler

    One thing you have to take into account is the DoPS has always held playoff games at a higher standard than regular season games. Based on the 2-for-1 trade off, which seems to be the consensus that reporters think has been used for years, this would have cost Schenn only 1 playoff game.

  • John Shisler

    2-for-1 trade off means he would have likely only missed 1 game had the Flyers moved past Game 6.

  • Aurelio

    Not enough. Hopefully this pest gets what he deserves next season when he injures himself working yet another dirty hit on someone else. Every time he hits dirty, there’s a potential for him to end someone’s career. No place for him in the league.

  • Not “That” Dr. Phil

    Enough about Ovechkin.

    What do you think about Schenn?

  • Not “That” Dr. Phil

    The hit occurred in Game 6.

    Do you want them to stop the game to suspend him?

  • Aurelio

    Oh, I see what you did there.

  • I agree, it should be more serious penalty. Does it have to take a spinal injury or death for the NHL to get serious? Oh wait.. that’s how the Dept of Transportation fix roads around here, how many people die before they fix a dangerous situation. A sad statistic.

  • Mr. Peabody & His Boy Sherman

    he did hits like this in every game

  • LinLeas

    Complain to the NHLPA and Players, because I can almost guarantee they were the ones who wanted shorter suspensions. They were also the ones who wanted the whole thing about “repeat offenders” and how much money a player will lose.

  • Matt

    3 things:

    1 – Schenn has a history and was throwing hits like this all series, and I’m sure that sort of stuff (along with him cheap shotting Kuzy’s knee) factors in, either consciously or subconsciously, to a suspension because it paints the picture of a guy who is totally disregarding the safety of other players.

    2 – Bellemare has NO history, and in fact only has 45 PIM in 155 games. He’s a clean player who made a bad hit. His behavior after the hit showed remorse and concern for his fellow player – He didn’t join the scrum, but instead went straight to check on Orlov, and then did everything he could to keep the scrum off of Orlov as he lay on the ice. This paints the picture of someone genuinely concerned about the health and safety of other players and someone like that is less likely to reoffend (which is a part of the purpose of suspensions)

    3 – Playoffs are more heavily weighted and are deemed to be a more significant punishment than regular season games

  • Bilal Siddiqui

    That’s stupid. I mean you look at a guy like Duncan Keith. He’s not ‘technically’ a repeat offender, but he literally slashed Jeff Carter in the face three years ago. But he gets nothing (or next to nothing) cause he isn’t a ‘repeat offender’. Flawed ruling

  • LinLeas

    His history factored into the suspension length. The fact that he wasn’t a “repeat offender” only meant instead of losing 6 games pay (Salary/82 x #of games) he lost 6 days pay (Salary/190 x #of games). 82 for #of games in the season and 190 for #of days in the season.

  • VeggieTart

    Well, it would have been nice if he’d been hauled before DOPS for crosschecking Evgeny Kuznetsov’s knees after the whistle in game FOUR. But water under the bridge; the Caps are still playing and the Flyers are not.

  • TasteTheHeat

    He should have been suspended for that cross check on Kuzy after the whistle. That was complete garbage.

  • C Breezy

    HAHAHAHAHAHAH!

  • C Breezy

    Let’s all correct semantics and grammar on hockey blogs!

  • Bilal Siddiqui

    Yeah I get it. Still bugs me. I guess I’d be even more livid if the Blackhawks won last night eh ;D

    Thanks for the info. I can always count on people smarter than me to help break things down LOL

  • LinLeas

    Sorry, I find this type of BS interesting…I blame the Business Law class I was required to take.

    I was happy the Blackhawks were knocked out too.

    Bugs me too. The obvious intent behind Keith’s actions, and the fact that it wasn’t the first time he did it, should have had him suspended for significantly longer.

  • TechnoRealz

    Shenn is textbook dirty filthy. Get a life filthy fil.

  • TechnoRealz

    Filthy fil, they should have suspended him in the chip to Kuzy’s knee.
    Which was game 3.
    Did your selective eyes forget the dirt filthy fil?

  • VeggieTart

    Bellemare didn’t have a history before this hit; Schenn did.

  • Eric Schulz

    He was talking about Schenn.
    Why’d you think he was talking about Ovie? Nothing that was said there can be applied to Ovie…

  • Eric Schulz

    You mean, throw a guy out of a game for a hit with intent-to-injure? Yes; yes I do want them to enforce the rulebook correctly. Troll.

  • Andrew Freeman

    that was SO FUNNY I forgot to laugh

  • Moskillz76

    Brayden Schenn. What a piece of shit.

  • Kathleen Meredith

    That makes a lot of sense, especially since history and intent are major factors when they rule. Still think Bellemare should have gotten two games instead of just one (considering the severity of the hit), but I get the 2-for-1 ratio to playoff games. Schenn getting pinged 3 regular season games seems fair.

    I do have a question – did Schenn get fined as well? Or is it just the 3-game suspension?

  • Rhino40

    ergo, count on the NHL assigning them for the Caps-Pens series….

  • Rhino40

    IMO, the DOPS video would be more fun if there were some different sound effects…

    …like that the sound of a prison cell door slamming or that synth hit from the Law & Order franchise

  • VeggieTart

    They also take into account whether or not the player was injured. The hit to Orlov looked really bad, but fortunately he was able to finish the game. (I don’t think they took into consideration Bellemare standing over Orlov to ensure he wasn’t affected by the ensuing scrum.) Oshie also left the bench momentarily, but i believe he, too, finished the game.

  • David Snoots

    Can confirm, he went to the bench, sat roughly ~5 minutes straight, then went back in.

  • Not “That” Dr. Phil

    Ask Ovie about Brian Campbell.

  • Not “That” Dr. Phil

    So you want mid-game suspensions now?

  • Eric Schulz

    You’ve never heard of a guy getting tossed out of a game? Seriously? How long have you been watching hockey? Sports?

  • Not “That” Dr. Phil

    That is not what the OP said. The OP said that the league waited until the series was over to suspend Schenn.

    The hit occurred in the 6th and final game of the series. It would be pretty hard to suspend a guy during the series for a hit that occurs during the final game.

  • Drew Koslow

    A simple 5 minute charging major and game misconduct would have been fine, thanks.

  • Eric Schulz

    He either meant he should’ve been suspended prior to game 6 – for any number of offenses worthy of suspension – or he meant that he should’ve been tossed in game 6 after the hit. Take your pick.

  • JasonRoseEh

    And not even a penalty on that, or the other noted infractions in the series. Meanwhile Caps are getting phantom calls and roughing penalties for border line hits.

    Stripes were really bad, from game 1 to 6. I’m not sure how the NHL doesn’t review the crews here and tell some officials to take early vacations.