Flyers vs. Penguins Game Takes a Dangerous Turn as Garnet Hathaway Suffers Head Injury After Late Hit
What started as a competitive clash between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Pittsburgh Penguins took a concerning turn when Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway hit the ice — literally. Moments after delivering a hard check to Noel Acciari, Hathaway was blindsided by Boko Imama. The unexpected interference sent Hathaway crashing to the ice, with his head forcefully bouncing off the surface.
While Hathaway had to be helped off the ice and escorted to the locker room, the angriest person in the arena was undoubtedly Flyers Head Coach John Tortorella. Footage from the game captured Tortorella’s furious reaction upon learning that Imama was only assessed a two-minute minor penalty for the incident, despite the apparent seriousness of Hathaway’s injury. After the game, Tortorella addressed the media, saying, “I don’t think a player is trying to injure another player. I’m certainly not going to accuse him of that…but it’s a cheap, dangerous hit.”
Torts is furious after Boko Imama is assessed a minor for interference on Garnet Hathaway, and Hathaway needed assistance off the ice pic.twitter.com/oXX10jvySl
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 28, 2025
The incident occurred in Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena during the February 27, 2025 matchup between the long-time rivals. Hathaway’s head striking the ice was visible to everyone in attendance, and the Flyers forward appeared visibly dazed as he lay on the ice. Initially, officials had ruled the hit a five-minute major penalty, but after a review, the call was reduced to a two-minute minor penalty, sparking widespread debate.
Hathaway, now in his second stint with the Flyers, is known for his tough play and willingness to take hits. In fact, he leads the Flyers this season in being hit, absorbing 214 hits so far. Despite his physical style, Hathaway’s reliability and clear style of play have made him a key asset for Philadelphia. This season, the 33-year-old forward has recorded 8 goals and 10 assists, and over his career, he’s totaled 73 goals and 84 assists across 598 games.
Unfortunately for the Flyers, Hathaway’s absence hurt them in this game. The contest — yet another chapter in the storied Battle of Pennsylvania rivalry — ended in a 5-4 overtime loss for Philadelphia. Evgeni Malkin scored the decisive goal just over a minute into overtime, snapping the Flyers’ three-game winning streak.
The Penguins’ victory, fueled by contributions from multiple players, was much-needed as it ended their four-game losing streak. Erik Karlsson stood out for Pittsburgh, scoring two goals, while Philip Tomasino added another. On the Flyers’ side, Matvei Michkov had a strong showing, notching two goals and an assist, helping Philadelphia fight back into the game. Goalie Samuel Ersson made 20 saves, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win.
The Penguins’ bounce-back win came after they had been thoroughly beaten by the Flyers in their previous matchup, a 6-1 loss. With tensions rising after the Hathaway-Imama incident, all eyes now turn to the teams’ upcoming rematch on Saturday, where the Flyers will look for revenge and Tortorella’s squad will aim to even the score.
The fallout from the hit — and the debate over whether the two-minute minor was sufficient punishment — is sure to be a talking point leading into the next clash between these heated rivals.