Florida Panthers forward William Lockwood has been suspended three games by the NHL for goalie interference.
Lockwood was punished by the league late Saturday night for hitting Marc-Andre Fleury after the Minnesota Wild goaltender went behind the net to play a puck early in the first period of the Panthers’ 6-4 loss Friday. The NHL said Lockwood made “high, forceful contact with [Fleury’s] head.”
Lockwood was assessed a minor penalty for goalie interference. He also received two minutes for roughing following a scrum with Minnesota defenseman Zach Bogosian.
Shortly after Lockwood returned to the ice following the penalty, he was injured in a fight with Wild forward Brandon Duhaime and did not return to the game.
Fleury, 39, exited the game midway into the second period with an upper-body injury.
Lockwood, 25, has one assist and 14 penalty minutes in 23 games this season. He has two assists in 51 career games with the Vancouver Canucks (2020-23) and Panthers.