NEW YORK — NHL leading goal scorer Auston Matthews will miss the Toronto Maple Leafs’ next two games after being suspended for cross-checking Buffalo’s Rasmus Dahlin in the neck.
Matthews retaliated against Dahlin by shoving his stick upward into the Sabres defenseman’s neck late in the Heritage Classic outdoor game Sunday. Buffalo won 5-2 to hand Toronto a fourth loss in six games despite Matthews scoring his 45th goal of the season.
The 24-year-old from Scottsdale, Ariz., will forfeit $116,403 in salary as part of the suspension, which the NHL’s department of player safety announced Monday. Matthews will miss Toronto’s upcoming games against Dallas on Tuesday and Carolina on Thursday.
Matthews and Dahlin were each given a two-minute minor penalty for cross-checking in the aftermath of the incident that happened with 5:05 left. This is the first suspension of any kind for Matthews in his NHL career.
