New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal will be a healthy scratch Thursday as discipline for being late for the team bus ahead of the gameday skate.
Head coach Patrick Roy said Barzal will be back in the lineup for Friday’s game against the Washington Capitals after sitting out against the Carolina Hurricanes.
“That’s the culture of our team,” Roy said, per the New York Post. “And we made the decision not to play him tonight. And Barzy’s not happy, he doesn’t feel good about it. He respects the decision, he understands it. He was really good about it.
“Like I said to him, it happened to me when I was in Colorado. Different way, but [I] missed a practice, missed two games. That’s the culture of our team, we believe in it. But he’s good about it. He’s very good about it.”
Barzal has two goals and eight points in nine games this season while averaging 21:09 of ice time, second among forwards behind Bo Horvat (21:16).
The 28-year-old centre is the team’s highest-paid player, carrying a cap hit of $9.15 million through the 2030-31 season.
Barzal was limited by injury to just 30 games last season, posting six goals and 20 points.
He was selected 16th overall by the Islanders in the 2015 draft.