Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was handed a seven-game suspension for boarding Boston Bruins blue-liner Brandon Carlo, the NHL's Department of Player Safety announced Saturday.

The incident occurred Friday night, and a penalty wasn't called on the ice.

"With the puck bouncing in Carlo's skates as he attempts to locate it, Wilson approaches from outside his field of vision and delivers a high, hard hit that makes direct contact with Carlo's head, driving him violently into the glass and causing an injury," the league explained.

"Through no fault of his own, he's (Carlo) in a position where he is unable to brace for contact, anticipate the hit, or protect himself in any way from Wilson, who was approaching from outside of his field of vision ... While there are aspects of this hit that may skirt the line between suspendable and not suspendable, it is the totality of the circumstances that cause this play to merit supplemental discipline."

Wilson has now been suspended five times in his career. Before being disciplined Saturday, his most recent ban came in 2018 when he was given 20 games for a high hit on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist.

The Capitals' enforcer will forfeit $311,781.61 in salary for his current suspension, according to Sportsnet's Chris Johnston.

Boston used the controversial hit as a rallying point in Friday's 5-1 win. Defenseman Jarred Tinordi fought Wilson in the second period, and the Bruins buried three goals with Wilson in the box.

Carlo was taken to the hospital after the hit but has since been released.

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A "small number" of NHL players based in the United States have begun receiving COVID-19 vaccines, Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reported on Hockey Night in Canada's "Headlines" segment Saturday.

"The league's aware of some players who have got it through some circumstances, say the city that they live where it's become available," Johnston said. "That hasn't reached the point where it's systematic yet. It's not as though a team has been able to secure a vaccine for all its staff and its players just yet, but this process of getting the league vaccinated is now underway."

At least one dose of the vaccine has been provided to 16.7% of Americans, according to NPR.

Fans in 17 of the 24 American NHL markets are allowed back in arenas in limited capacities. The doors to Canadian rinks remain closed to all spectators.

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St. Louis Blues forward Vladimir Tarasenko will make his season debut Saturday night against the Los Angeles Kings, head coach Craig Berube announced.

In a corresponding move earlier Saturday, the Blues placed defenseman Colton Parayko on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

Tarasenko has been recovering from the third shoulder surgery of his career in late August.

"It was a long period without playing hockey, but most important, we needed to get it fixed and get it done and get it healthy again," Tarasenko said.

He added, "The three surgeries is in the past, there is some speculation still, but it was a different injury, not the same injury three times. Now it's healthy, I feel strong and ready to come back and can't wait until I step on the ice."

The sniper hurt his shoulder in October 2019, which resulted in his second surgery. After spending the majority of the 2019-20 regular season recovering, he returned for the playoffs. Tarasenko only appeared in four contests before undergoing the third procedure.

The 29-year-old led the Blues in goals for five straight seasons prior to the 2019-20 campaign. Since 2013, he ranks 13th in the NHL with 214 tallies.

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Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar thinks superstar Nathan MacKinnon will miss additional time after sitting out Friday's tilt against the Anaheim Ducks.

"I'm assuming he's going to miss a couple games," Bednar said after the Avalanche's overtime win, according to The Athletic's Peter Baugh.

MacKinnon missed the final 12 minutes of Tuesday's game after taking a hit to the head from San Jose Sharks rookie Joachim Blichfeld.

The Avalanche said Friday afternoon that MacKinnon would play Friday but subsequently ruled him out shortly before puck drop in an effort to avoid further injury.

Blichfield received a two-game suspension for the hit.

MacKinnon has posted 22 points in 19 games this season.

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Tom Wilson may soon receive a call from the NHL's Department of Player Safety.

The Washington Capitals enforcer delivered a high hit on Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo against the glass late in the first period Friday night.

Here's a closer look at the play:

Referees didn't call a penalty on the hit.

Carlo stayed down on the ice before being helped to the dressing room by Boston's medical staff. The Bruins announced during intermission that the blue-liner wouldn't return to the game due to an upper-body injury.

After the contest, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy told reporters Carlo was taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He described the hit as "completely unnecessary" and "dirty," according to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.

Wilson was forced to answer the bell in the second period, and dropped the gloves with Bruins blue-liner Jarred Tinordi.

Boston scored three goals with Wilson in the box en route to a convincing 5-1 victory.

Wilson has been suspended four times in his career, most recently in 2018 when he was handed a 20-game ban for a hit to St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist's head.

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Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon is out with an upper-body injury Friday, the team announced.

The club said earlier in the day that MacKinnon would be in the lineup against the Anaheim Ducks.

San Jose Sharks rookie Joachim Blichfeld caught the forward with a hit to the head Wednesday night. The NHL suspended Blichfeld for two games Thursday.

MacKinnon missed the final 12 minutes of Colorado's 4-0 win, but head coach Jared Bednar said postgame the perennial Hart Trophy candidate seemed to be fine.

The 25-year-old is tied for the club lead with 22 points and has posted a team-high 17 assists in 19 games.

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