Seattle Kraken center suspended two games for charging

Seattle Kraken centerman Yanni Gourde has been suspended for a charging penalty against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm. The play in question occurred in the final few minutes of the Thursday night matchup, with the NHL Department of Player Safety saying that Gourde unnecessarily elevated himself into Ekholm’s head on the hit. The league also cited Gourde’s one previous career suspension – a two-game punishment for a hit to the head of Jordan Staal in the 2018-19 season.

Gourde has appeared in all 45 of Seattle’s games this season, boasting seven goals and 19 points. He’s also added 48 penalty minutes, a mark that’s tied with Vince Dunn for team lead. Gourde is in his third season with the Kraken, serving as the selection from the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft. He’s served in a prominent role for the Kraken, averaging over 17 minutes of ice time in each season since. That includes the 17:48 he’s averaging this year, operating as a middle-six centerman and go-to penalty killer.

Gourde went unselected in the NHL Draft, instead beginning his pro career with the AHL’s Worcester Sharks at the end of the 2011-12 season. He scored three points in four games in his first taste of pros but struggled to maintain that production in his official rookie year – scoring just 14 points in 54 games during the 2012-13 season. He found his way back on draft in the following year, though, and was able to work his way into more prominent roles each season before eventually making his NHL debut in 2015-16 and playing his first full pro season in 2017-18. Gourde made a splash when he finally joined the Tampa lineup, netting an impressive 25 goals and 64 points in 82 games. That remains a career-high in goals and points, though Gourde has nonetheless remained consistent, scoring 48 points in three separate seasons since, including last year.