| | NEW YORK -- NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell continued his crackdown on high-sticking on Saturday, suspending Detroit Red Wings defenseman Steve Duchesne two games for an incident in Friday's game against the Nashville Predators.
Duchesne delivered a blow to the head of Nashville's Ville Peltonen with 4:31 left in the first period. Although he was not assessed a penalty on the play, Duchesne was suspended by the league for handling his stick "in a reckless manner."
Duchesne will forfeit $10,416 based on his 1999-2000 salary and under terms of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement. He will miss Detroit's home-and-home series against the New York Rangers on Sunday and Monday.
On Saturday the league also suspended Buffalo Sabres center Michael Peca two games for a roughing incident in which he struck Valeri Bure in the head with an elbow in Thursday's game against the Calgary Flames.
Peca will forfeit $15,625. He was given a minor roughing penalty on the play, and Bure had to leave the game briefly before returning. Earlier in that game Peca gave a hard check to Marc Bureau which
resulted in a concussion.
Duchesne and Peca are the latest in a growing list of players suspended this season for hits to or near the head.
On Friday, Keith Tkachuk of the Phoenix Coyotes was given a two-game suspension for a high-sticking incident in a Thursday game against Colorado.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Scott Niedermayer was given a 10-game ban on Tuesday for whacking Peter Worrell of the Florida Panthers in the head with his stick. Boston Bruins defenseman
Marty McSorley was given a 23-game suspension, the longest in NHL history, on February 22 for striking Donald Brashear of the Vancouver Canucks on the right temple. | |
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