The NHL has come down with their verdict on Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust following his actions of a hit to the hit on Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser.

The Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday morning that Rust has been suspended for three games for an illegal hit to the head.

The hit occurred in the dying seconds of Sunday’s afternoon contest. After a 3-0 second period, the Canucks sparked a comeback in the third with goals from Jake DeBrusk and Teddy Blueger. Pushing late to tie the game, chaos erupted at the net front in a battle for a loose puck. Boeser is digging away, trying to find the puck. Rust comes flying in from the slot and leads with his shoulder, making direct contact with Boeser’s head.

As time expired, Boeser was left lying on the ice. The trainer came out to help, but the Canucks assistant captain managed to leave the ice under his own power. While the organization has not announced the specifics of the injury, Boeser has since been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to January 25, and will miss at least the rest of the homestand, which includes games against the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Burnsville, Minnesota native suffered his first concussion at the beginning of last season, when Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Jeannot caught Boeser in the head with an elbow flying through the neutral zone. Jeannot was also suspended for three games for his act. Boeser would miss the following 19 days (seven games) with a concussion.

Boeser, 28, has 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points in 50 games this season. After going 21 games without a goal, Boeser was just starting to find his scoring touch again, with goals in back-to-back games heading into Sunday’s afternoon match.

This is the first suspension of Rust’s career. Rust will sit out for Pittsburgh’s entire three-game homestand against the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators. He will be eligible to return on Tuesday, February 3, when they hit the road against the New York Islanders and Buffalo Sabres before the Olympic break.