The National Hockey League has suspended Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres for 25 games following his hit to the head of Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa on Tuesday in a Western Conference quarterfinal series. It is tied for the third-longest suspension in NHL history.
Brendan Shanahan, NHL senior vice president of player safety, called the play a violation of three NHL rules – interference, charging and an illegal check to the head. Torres’ suspension will carry over into next season if the Coyotes’ playoff run ends before 25 games are played. Phoenix leads Chicago 3-1 entering Game 5 on Saturday night.
The play, which occurred at 11 minutes, 42 seconds of the first period, was not penalized by on-ice officials. But Hossa, who was no longer in possession of the puck and had just turned towards a charging Torres, lay on the ice for several minutes before he was immobilized and carried off on a stretcher. Hossa was released from a Chicago-area hospital later Tuesday night, but missed Game 4 and will not play in Game 5 on Saturday.
“Torres is not only a repeat offender as defined by the [collective bargaining agreement], his extensive supplemental discipline history consists mainly of acts similar to this one, including two this season,” Shanahan said in a video released by the NHL.
Torres is not eligible to play in any preseason games next year if the suspension hasn’t been served. He will forfeit $21,341.46 for every regular-season game he misses. Torres served a two-game suspension for charging Minnesota Wild defenseman Nate Prosser on Jan. 2. At the end of the 2010-11 season, Torres was suspended four games for a hit to the head on Edmonton Oilers forward Jordan Eberle.
“I think Brendan’s sending a message there,” Capitals forward Mike Knuble said. “All the guys are watching games and I think they see what’s going on and the pace that the games are played at and how players are reacting to things that happen on the ice. I do think it does carry over [to other playoff series].”
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