Dalton Prout Suspended 1 Game for Punching Nikita Kucherov

The NHL Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday that Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dalton Prout will be suspended for one game.   

The punishment is a result of Prout's punch on Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov.

The incident happened in the second period of what proved to be a 4-0 win for Tampa Bay on Sunday. Blue Jackets winger Nick Foligno and Lightning defenseman Andrej Sustr were jostling on the boards. As Kucherov was attempting to pull Foligno away, Prout skated in and threw a right-handed punch at Kucherov's head.

Prout received a 10-minute game misconduct and a two-minute penalty for roughing.

"That's a tough play," said Lightning head coach Jon Cooper after the game, per Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times. "It's out of my hands. I'm sure if there's something wrong with it, the league will look at it."

The Columbus Dispatch's Aaron Portzline argued the reaction immediately after Prout's punch was somewhat overblown:

Prout will miss Columbus' matchup with the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. According to Rob Mixer of the team's official website, the 26-year-old was also fined $5,779.57.

According to Smith, Kucherov will be in the lineup for the Lightning for Tuesday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.