Suspension incoming for Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo after he leaves the bench to fight

Utah HC defenseman Robert Bortuzzo is in trouble tonight after getting into a fight that could potentially lead to a suspension.

Bruins center Mark Kastelic was skating through center ice when both teams were making changes.

This is when Bortuzzo made the costly mistake. He jumped on the ice and immediately went after Kastelic, dropping the gloves immediately.

He practically could have jumped on the ice without his stick or gloves based on how quickly he escalated things.

This is in direct violation of rule 70.2. It is a fairly obscure rule, but only because of how rarely it actually comes up. It reads as follows:

It is hard to argue against the fact that Bortuzzo did exactly what this rule forbids players from doing.

As a result, he can expect some form of supplementary discipline. While the rule itself does not specify what the consequences should be, we do have some precedent.

Earlier this year, during the preseason, we saw another violation of this rule.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Connor Geekie jumped on the ice and immediately went after a Florida Panthers player during the preseason this fall.

This case seemed to be less egregious as the play developed for several seconds before it developed into a proper fight. Even then, he was handed a one-game suspension.

The NHL explained their decision to suspend Geekie:

"Geekie comes onto the ice as part of a line change. As soon as he comes onto the ice, disregarding the play completely, he skates directly to Davies for the purpose of starting an altercation. This is a violation of rule 70.2.

 

Based on this ruling, we can expect Bortuzzo will most likely get a one-game suspension as well. If anything, he may get more games as his violation seems worse. Be sure to check in tomorrow to see the announcement.

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