Zolnierczyk suspended 4 games
Daily News Flyers blog
Zolnierczyk suspended 4 games
Frank Seravalli
Flyers forward Harry Zolnierczyk has been suspended for 4 games by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for charging Ottawa defenseman Mike Lundin on Saturday.
Lundin appeared to temporarily lose consciousness on the vicious hit – and Ottawa coach Paul MacLean confirmed after the game that Lundin had suffered a concussion.
“Instead of delivering a hard, legal check, he launches prior to the check, making sigifnicant contact to Lundin’s head,” NHL vice president Brendan Shanahan said in a video explanation. “What no player should expect is that his opponent will launch upward, off the ice and into his head.”
Shanahan’s full video explanation is posted below.
Zolnierczyk, 25, had never been previously suspended by the NHL in his 43-game career. He is the second Flyer to be suspended this season, following Brayden Schenn’s one-game ban on Jan. 23.
He will sacrifice approximately $12,973 in salary, which goes toward the NHL’s Player Emergency Assistance Fund. Zolnierczyk will be eligible to return to the Flyers’ lineup on March 13 in New Jersey.
Healthy scratch Mike Knuble will likely replace Zolnierczyk in the lineup.
For the latest updates, follow Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @DNFlyers
- No, keep them out for TWICE as long as the injured player.
BTW: The old school enforcers were not cheap shot artists.— BEMiller - The kids watching will get over it. Tell them life isn't fair and not everyone should get trophies! Hockey is a brutal sport, this is all part of the game as is fighting. So try explaining the kids that fighting is allowed!! That's any different? Hockey been this way for ever and they used to not wear helmets. Go watch golf or tennis if its two disturbing for you. — kchaz
- Anyone that thinks this was a clean and legal hit is in denial. Whether Lundin's head was down Harry Z left his feet and deserves a suspension. Four might be a little ridiculous though considering repeat offenders have gotten less game for the same infraction in the past.— FatEagle
- Shanahan has been stealing a paycheck from the NHL the moment he took the job. Go learn how to fish, buddy. Learn how to enjoy retirement. Absolutely clean hit.— Smooth88
- B.S. is what he is.
The so-called "clean hit" is one of the chief things ruining hockey. Whenever great players are forced to miss games because of so-called clean hits, then those clean hits should go the way of the wild goose.
Frankly, I'm all for suspensions that are twice as long as the games missed by the victim of the "clean hit"!— BEMiller - You morons love this stuff.
— FlyersLosersFor38Years - If you think that Harry wasn't trying to leave his feet, then can anyone explain why his feet were so high in the air after the hit? He meant to hit up high. Yes, Lundin's head was down, but Harry was head hunting. Send the guy down to the Phantoms. That's not what the Flyers represents. (Anymore.)— trungy
- This hit is debatable. I do feel 4 games is a little much. What did Matt Cooke get for almost destroying a man's career? Anyway, the worst thing about this, aside from the Concussion being the obvious, is that now there is more fodder for the "professional" referees to keep the Flyers, again, on top of the ladder for most penalty minutes in th NHL. Last time I checked, the Broad Street Bullies regime ended over 30 years ago........— girouxforpresident
- Four may be a lot but those above who don't think it deserves any suspension are clueless idiots. Why do these guys have to keep launching themselves at the head?— Mark1
- Four may be a lot but those above who don't think it deserves any suspension are clueless idiots. Why do these guys have to keep launching themselves at the head?— Mark1
- No suspension for Alfredsson?— cdedrick05
- And the "they're out to get us " whining continues. We have a lot of clueless hockey fans in this city.— Mark1
- im a huge Flyers fan and cant understand why any real objective hockey fan can say that was not a cheap shot. He clearly went after him and left his feet. There is no place for this in any sport. I love good CLEAN hard hitting but this goon was out to injure.
Just imagine if some goon on another team did that to one of our players.
I feel to help curb this kind of goonism is to suspend the offending player for as long as the player he hit is unable to play.— johnsothermail - Shuycks, there goes the Stanley Cup.....hahahahaha— STEPHEN1988
- WHat a TOOL you are. Did all the athletes beat you up as a little girl ? — hvitoloco
