Jordan Nolan received a one-game suspension from the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety for his gloved punch of Edmonton’s Jesse Joensuu that occurred in a scrum with four seconds remaining in the second period of Sunday’s 4-2 Los Angeles win.
The Department of Player Safety noted that “Nolan punches an unsuspecting Joensuu with significant force” and that “the scrum has essentially ended when Nolan decides to throw this punch.”
Though one game seems appropriate in this instance, the crosscheck to the back of Henrik Sedin last March that makes Nolan a “repeat offender” was unpenalized at the time and appeared toe the border of being worthy for supplemental discipline. Earlier today, Darryl Sutter opined that the supplemental discipline should not exceed two games.
Nolan will forfeit $3,589.74 from his salary under terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Tanner Pearson should step into his spot in the lineup for tonight’s game against the Calgary Flames.
The suspension was the second assessed to the Kings since the creation of the Department of Player Safety. Dustin Brown drew a two-game suspension for elbowing Minnesota’s Jason Pominville on April 23, 2013.
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