Ranking the Dirtiest Plays of the 2016-17 NHL Season So Far

The 2016-17 NHL season has seen a large reduction in fines and suspensions for players. The 2015-16 saw 65, per Sportsnet, while this season's total fines and suspensions number fewer than 20.

The suspensions and injuries resulting from illegal contact began in the preseason, but things have been rolling along at a slow clip for most of the year. That's good news for the NHL, as the league is always strongest when the best players are available.

Here are the dirtiest plays—ranked by punishment doled out after the fact—of the 2016-17 season so far.

Note: Preseason incidents were included only if part of the suspension involved regular-season games.

8. Mike Hoffman Receives a Two-Game Suspension

Date of Event: On Dec. 14, Mike Hoffman of the Ottawa Senators was penalized while playing against the San Jose Sharks.

What Was the Penalty? At 7:50 of the third period, Hoffman received five- and 10-minute penalties for his cross-check to the head of San Jose forward Logan Couture. It was blatant and unusual for a player who has 65 career penalty minutes.

Long-Term Impact: It appears unlikely either player has or will suffer long-term issues from the infraction. Beyond the curiosity of the blow—Hoffman is not this kind of player—the entire incident lacks a newsworthy quality.

7. Tom Gilbert Gets Three Games for Boarding Nick Ritchie

Date of Event: On Nov. 1, Tom Gilbert of the Los Angeles Kings was penalized in a game against the crosstown Anaheim Ducks.

What Was the Penalty? At 16:40 of the second period, Gilbert was assessed a two-minute penalty for roughing. The collision with winger Nick Ritchie was preceded by an exchange mere seconds before in the Kings' zone. Although given only a minor penalty, Gilbert got a three-game suspension after the fact.

Long-Term Impact: Ritchie missed the next two games but has been healthy otherwise this season. Gilbert has been a healthy scratch for much of the year. The incident appears to have had no impact on his performance.

6. Anthony DeAngelo Suspended Three Games for Abuse of Officials

Date of Event: On Dec. 31, Anthony DeAngelo of the Arizona Coyotes was penalized at the end of the second period in a game against the Calgary Flames.

What Was the Penalty? After the horn sounded at the end of the second period, DeAngelo was assessed a misconduct for abuse of officials—an unusual penalty.

Long-Term Impact: This is a potentially damaging suspension for DeAngelo. The account of the suspension, per NHL.com, is brief and lacking in detail. However, it will be interesting to see if future confrontations involving officials are examined closely for DeAngelo.

5. Dale Weise Gets Three Games for Launching Himself into Korbinian Holzer

Date of Event: On Oct. 20, Dale Weise of the Philadelphia Flyers delivered an illegal hit in a game against the Anaheim Ducks.

What Was the Penalty? There was no penalty on the play, but the NHL Department of Player Safety weighed in after the fact. The issue with the hit was point of contact—the head. Although there was no penalty in the game, Weise paid with a three-game suspension for the hit on Korbinian Holzer.

Long-Term Impact: Holzer did not play in the two games following the hit, but he is a part-time player, so it may have been a case of being on the outside looking in. There was no reported impact on Weise, three-game suspension aside.

4. Niklas Hjalmarsson Gets Four Games for Hit on Ty Rattie

Date of Event: On Oct. 1, Niklas Hjalmarsson of the Chicago Blackhawks delivered a hit to Ty Rattie in a preseason game against the St. Louis Blues.

What Was the Penalty? Hjalmarsson received a match penalty for a hit to the head of Rattie, who is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.

Long-Term Impact: No clear impact can be seen for either player. Rattie missed a lot of action with the Blues, but that had more to do with head coach Ken Hitchcock having other options available.

3. Cody Eakin Gets Four Games for Running Over Henrik Lundqvist

Date of Event: On Dec. 15, Cody Eakin of the Dallas Stars was given a penalty in a game against the New York Rangers.

What Was the Penalty? At 9:19 of the first period, Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers was behind his net to retrieve the puck. He held on to it, saw the oncoming Eakin and backhanded the puck away from the Dallas forward. An instant afterward, Eakin ran over the goaltender.

Long-Term Impact: There does not appear to be any long-term issues from this collision, although Lundqvist has struggled recently. He won the game against Dallas and the next two games, however. It was an unusual play, with Eakin being the unlikely aggressor, but as is the case with many of these incidents, it is unlikely we see any impact from the event.

2. Tanner Pearson Gets a Four-Game Suspension

Date of Event: On Oct. 5, in a preseason game against the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings winger Tanner Pearson received a match penalty.

What Was the Penalty? Pearson approached Oilers defender Brandon Davidson in the neutral zone, as the defender was preparing to unload the puck into the Los Angeles end. Pearson appeared to drive up and into Davidson's head—exactly the kind of hit the NHL is trying to remove from the game.

Long-Term Impact: Davidson missed preseason time but made it back in time for the Oilers' first regular-season game on Oct. 12. He was injured in that game and has been out for much of the year. Pearson continued his season without incident.

1. Radko Gudas Gets Six Games

Date of Event: On Oct. 8, Radko Gudas of the Philadelphia Flyers was penalized for a hit to Boston Bruins winger Austin Czarnik in a preseason game.

What Was the Penalty? Two days after the play, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced a six-game suspension for Gudas. Part of the reason for the severe penalty was Gudas' history. He was suspended in 2015-16 for a hit delivered to then-Ottawa Senators forward Mika Zibanejad.

Long-Term Impact: Czarnik has been productive for the Bruins this season, missing just one game all year. Gudas missed the games he was suspended for and has had a few lost games since due to illness and other maladies.