{"id":431437,"date":"2026-01-27T23:17:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-27T23:17:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/431437\/"},"modified":"2026-01-27T23:17:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T23:17:10","slug":"pittsburgh-penguins-bryan-rust-suspended-three-games-for-hit-to-head-of-brock-boeser","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/431437\/","title":{"rendered":"Pittsburgh Penguins\u2019 Bryan Rust suspended three games for hit to head of Brock Boeser"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pittsburgh Penguins<\/a> forward Bryan Rust<\/a> has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of Vancouver Canucks<\/a> winger Brock Boeser<\/a>, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The incident occurred in the dying seconds of the Penguins\u2019 3-2 win over the Canucks on Sunday when Vancouver was seeking the tying goal. Boeser was going for a loose puck in front of the Penguins\u2019 net when Rust skated by him and clipped his head with his elbow.<\/p>\n

Boeser was injured on the play and was doubled over while trying to get back to the Vancouver bench. He was placed on injured reserve Monday with the team stating Tuesday he is in concussion protocol. <\/p>\n

While the hit drew the ire of the Canucks post-game, Penguins head coach Dan Muse was unhappy with the suspension length announced Tuesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think three games is a lot. I don\u2019t agree with it. As an organization, we don\u2019t agree with it,\u201d Muse said, per the team\u2019s website. \u201cThey have a tough job, in the league, in terms of looking at these things. Bryan Rust<\/a>is a guywhere you know what you\u2019re going to get from him every night. He\u2019s a guy that works his [butt] off every day. He\u2019s a guy that\u2019s heart and soul. One thing he\u2019s not is a dirty player. He\u2019s going to do everything he can to help the team win. I mean, I\u2019ve coached against this guy. He\u2019s been in the league for 12 years, like, 750-plus games. You see his track record. He\u2019s a guy who works, but he also plays the game the right way, and he plays it clean.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd so, based on that track record, based on the player, who he is, what he\u2019s shown for a very long time in this league – yeah, I disagree with it. And again, the league\u2019s got a tough job. But in terms of the play, it\u2019s the end of the game. He\u2019s doing everything he can to just get back to the net front and not allow another shot on net in the closing seconds. Kind of the way he comes in there, he\u2019s trying to get on the defensive side. When you look at the video, too, there\u2019s a lot of things happening there. And so, there\u2019s the visual of it that you see, but there\u2019s also, I think, the intent and how all those things unfolded. But, now it\u2019s going to be an opportunity for guys to step up in his absence while he\u2019s out. Obviously, Rusty is a guy who plays just about every role you can imagine on this hockey team, and does it very well. And so now, it\u2019s going to be an opportunity for other guys there to come in and to get an opportunity to fill that hole while he\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh\u2019s Bryan Rust has been suspended for three games for an illegal check to the head against Vancouver\u2019s Brock Boeser. https:\/\/t.co\/qzLChro3Xn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 27, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know what happened. Just watched the replay above… I think it\u2019s a pretty dirty play, to be honest with you. But no one on the ice seemed to see it as well,\u201d Canucks forward\u00a0Jake DeBrusk<\/a>\u00a0said postgame.<\/p>\n

Rust was handed a two-minute penalty for an illegal check to the head with no time left on the clock.<\/p>\n

The 5-foot-11 winger is third in Penguins scoring with 18 goals and 39 points in 47 games this season.<\/p>\n

Pittsburgh sits second in the Metropolitan Division with a 26-14-11 record and are six points behind the\u00a0Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>\u00a0for top spot and two points ahead of the\u00a0New York Islanders<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Penguins begin a three-game homestand Thursday against the\u00a0Chicago Blackhawks<\/a>, followed by the\u00a0New York Rangers<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Ottawa Senators<\/a>\u00a0on Saturday and Monday, respectively.<\/p>\n