The St. Louis Blues could be facing the possibility of a Brandon Carlo suspension.
The team’s first-year defenseman faced plenty of scrutiny following the knee-on-knee collision in Friday night’s 4-0 win over the rival Dallas Stars.
Roope Hintz was down and had to be helped off the ice after this knee-to-knee collision
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 3, 2026
Hope he's okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Cg9X0NDwsU
Carlo got a five-minute major for the incident and a 10-minute game misconduct. But that’s not where the incident will likely end. The NHL’s Department of Player Safety should give the Blues, and specifically Carlo, a call sooner rather than later.
And that call could lead to a suspension.
The tip-off to a suspension is a call. The tip-off to a lengthy suspension is an in-person hearing. More on the extent of the situation should hit on Saturday morning.
For the time being, circumstances are not on Carlo’s side. The league has been looking to crack down on these types of hits. And given that this incident happened early in the season, the NHL might want to set the tone for the rest of the season.
So, if I had to bet, I’d say at least a one-game suspension would be in order. And if that’s the case, the Blues might not feel the burn too much. But if it becomes a lengthy one, the situation could really hamper the team.
The Blues are already down Logan Mailloux and Tyler Tucker. Losing Carlo to a suspension could lead to a tough stretch for the organization. The situation could lead to a call-up just to add a healthy body to the NHL roster. The likeliest name to fill in could be Calle Rosen, as the 32-year-old is the most NHL-experienced blueliner in the AHL at the moment.
Precedent suggest Carlo suspension likely
Unfortunately for the Blues, a Carlo suspension is likely.
The last major suspension for a knee-on-knee hit was Radko Gudas. The then-Anaheim Ducks captain leveled Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews last March, ending the Leafs captain’s season and sending him to offseason surgery.
The league noted that the length of the suspension was largely determined by Matthews’ injury. Gudas opted for a phone hearing that notified him of the five-game suspension.
Given that particular incident, the Carlo suspension should not be close to five games. After all, Hintz returned to the game, and everything seems to be naught more than an injury scare for the Dallas Stars center.
If that’s the case, the NHL may opt for a one-game ban and/or a financial penalty. If the league really wants to be lenient, Carlo could just face a fine.
The latter would be the best-case scenario for Carlo and St. Louis.
Still, it’s safe to say that the league will look into this incident. So, Blues fans should keep an eye on this incident, as news could break as soon as Saturday, with the Blues set to face the Colorado Avalanche.
Add us as a preferred source on Google