Luke Dragusica Suspended Rest of OHL Season for Slash on Blaseg

Luke Dragusica’s OHL season is over after one swing of his stick.

The Brampton Steelheads defenseman received a season-ending suspension following his two-handed slash to Oshawa Generals defenseman Brady Blaseg last Friday. Commissioner Bryan Crawford announced the punishment after a comprehensive review.

The 18-year-old won’t play again this season and faces multiple requirements before any potential return.

Luke Dragusica Slash on Brady Blaseg Video

Brampton led 3-0 with 3:20 remaining when Blaseg hit Dragusica cleanly behind the net. Both players went down on the play.

Dragusica got up first, measured his target, and delivered a two-handed slash to Blaseg’s head.

The heel of Dragusica’s stick connected with Blaseg’s skull, drawing blood immediately. While Blaseg was down, Dragusica added a cross-check before officials intervened.

Video:

Officials assessed Dragusica a match penalty while trainers attended to Blaseg. Players from both teams immediately dropped the gloves. Blaseg returned for Oshawa’s next game against Erie.

OHL Suspension Details for Dragusica

The suspension extends beyond missing games. Dragusica must complete a league education program, attend counseling sessions, and fulfill community service requirements.

For any chance at returning in 2026-27, he’ll need approval from a Reinstatement Panel.

The OHL called it “one of the dirtiest plays in recent memory” and noted it was a “premeditated swing” rather than a spontaneous reaction. That distinction shaped the severity of the punishment.

Dragusica’s OHL Career Stats and Draft Status

Dragusica isn’t a high-profile prospect. The third-pairing defenseman has 10 points in 70 OHL games with Brampton. He went undrafted in the 2025 NHL Draft despite being eligible.

For comparison, when Marty McSorley slashed Donald Brashear in 2000, he never played another NHL game. McSorley was an established veteran. Dragusica’s a fringe junior player.

Why the OHL Suspended Dragusica for the Season

Weeks earlier, Kitchener’s Jacob Xu received just four games for slashing Sudbury’s Jan Chovan in the head. Many considered that insufficient.

The OHL clearly decided to make an example with Dragusica. You swing your stick at someone’s head, you’re done for the year. No wiggle room.

The context makes it worse. Brampton was winning comfortably, outshooting Oshawa 40-16. The game was essentially decided when Dragusica chose to swing his stick.

The counseling requirement shows the league sees this as a behavioral problem, not just a hockey penalty.

What’s Next for Luke Dragusica

Dragusica’s parents likely invested heavily in his hockey development over two decades. Those investments vanished with one decision.

The OHL made the right call on player safety. Using your stick as a weapon doesn’t belong in hockey.

It is unclear if any team will take a chance on him next season. For a player already on the margins of pro hockey, this suspension could be the end.

Teams will remember this incident when considering whether to give him another opportunity. In junior hockey, marginal players rarely recover from suspensions this severe.