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NEW JERSEY
VS.
TORONTO
BUFFALO
VS.
PITTSBURGH
COLORADO
VS.
LOS ANGELES
DALLAS
VS.
ST. LOUIS
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Thursday, May 3
Updated: May 5, 2:38 PM ET
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Domi suspended for the rest of the playoffs
ESPN.com news services
TORONTO – Tie Domi has been suspended for the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs after his vicious elbow to the head of New
Jersey defenseman Scott Niedermayer in the closing seconds of
the playoff game Thursday night.
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Tie Domi's hit on Scott Niedermayer was a clear cheap shot and should have never happened. The incident was the epitome of an elbowing penalty with an intent to injure.
Engblom's complete analysis
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"Mr. Domi's actions have no place in our game and are being punished
accordingly, " said NHL executive vice president Colin Campbell. "He has forfeited the privilege of further participation in this year's Stanley Cup playoffs."
Campbell's ruling came less than 24 hours after Domi knocked out
Niedermayer with a vicious hit near the boards with less than 20
seconds left in the Leafs' 3-1 victory in Game 4. The victory evened
the best-of-seven series at 2-2.
Domi was assessed a match penalty for deliberate injury of
opponent, which includes an automatic suspension pending a meeting
with league officials.
Campbell met with Domi, Leafs coach Pat Quinn and team president
Ken Dryden for about an hour in the league's offices in Toronto and
then issued his ruling about five hours later.
If the Maple Leafs are eliminated from the playoffs by the
Devils, Domi's suspension will carry over to the first eight games
of next season.
Niedermayer flew home with the Devils to New Jersey after the
game and he was hospitalized overnight. He underwent a battery of
tests Friday and was released. He will not play in Game 5 on
Saturday night, general manager Lou Lamoriello said.
Neither Domi nor Niedermayer were immediately available for
comments on the ruling.
If the Maple Leafs advanced to the final, the ruling has the
potential of suspending Domi for 17 games – the final three games
of the Eastern Conference semifinal, the conference finals and the
Stanley Cup finals, if each series went the entire seven games.
A 12-year veteran, Domi has been one of the NHL's top tough guys
for years. while not overly big at 5-foot-10 and 200 pounds, he had
never been afraid to take on an opposing team's biggest player.
However, he also has not been known to be a cheap-shot artist.
That's what made his hit Thursday night so surprising.
With less than 20 seconds remaining, Niedermayer was skating along
the boards in the Toronto zone when Domi caught him across the
head, well behind the play.
Unconscious and lying flat on the ice for about three minutes,
Niedermayer was taken off on a stretcher before managing to get up
and walk into the Devils' dressing room.
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NHL's Deliberate injury rule
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Rule 52. Deliberate Injury of Opponents:
(a) A match penalty shall be imposed on a player who deliberately injures an opponent in any manner.
(b) In addition to the match penalty, the player shall be
automatically suspended from further competition until the
Commissioner has ruled on the issue.
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"It's an insult to hockey, especially at this time when the
game needs to reach a wider spectrum of fans," Devils center Bobby
Holik said Friday.
Devils captain Scott Stevens said there was no excuse for the
hit.
"That's like me walking down the street and laying you out with
an elbow," Stevens said Friday.
Domi was also fined $1,000 by the league in late March for
squirting spectators in Philadelphia with water while sitting in
the penalty box and then getting involved in an altercation with
one spectator.
Niedermayer was able to walk into the dressing room and was not taken to a hospital following
the game.
"There's a way to get back at the Maple Leafs," forward Bobby
Holik said, "and the best way is to win the next game."
Play was stopped with 7.4 seconds remaining as trainers, medical
personnel and teammates attended to Niedermayer, who lay flat on
the ice for a number of minutes just in front of the Toronto bench.
"When you see a guy laying there, it's not a pretty sight no
matter what the case, what the situation," said forward Scott
Gomez, who did not see the hit when it occurred.
Lamoriello reserved comment after the game.
"If I say anything now, it doesn't do anybody any good," he
said.
Stevens, the Devils' captain, was in the penalty box at the time,
saw the hit when it happened, reacted angrily and was issued a
10-minute misconduct. A minute earlier, Stevens traded punches with
Domi in the New Jersey net.
"We don't need any more motivation," right wing Randy McKay
said. "It's certainly going to band us together. I hope Nieder's
OK. I hate to see that happen."
Domi was not penalized for the exchange with Stevens, who was
sent off for roughing.
"There's no reason a physical game should end like that,"
Devils goalie Martin Brodeur said. "It was a nice playoff game
until that incident.
"If the league does the right thing, he's not going to be
playing for the rest of the playoffs. We're not going to retaliate.
We've lost one of our best defensemen. We've got to compensate
somehow."
Claude Loiselle, the NHL's manager of operations who has
monitored the entire series, would not comment on any further
disciplinary action. He would only cite the rule book regarding
deliberate intent to injure infractions.
Few saw what happened at the time, relying on replays after the
game.
"Disgusting," New Jersey forward John Madden said.
"Irresponsible. A person like that shouldn't be given the right to
run around with a hockey stick in his hand and play in the
league."
Devils coach Larry Robinson was spotted mouthing the words:
"What happened?" after play was stopped.
"It was a cheap shot," he said afterward. "The league will
handle it.
"We shouldn't see him back in this series," Robinson said of
Domi. "There's no room for that in hockey. We're trying to sell a
sport, and that's no way to sell it. I'm really surprised at Tie."
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ALSO SEE
Niedermayer says Domi made threat earlier in series
More problems for Leafs: Quinn shoves photographer
Leafs' victory over Devils marred by Domi's hit
Shactman: Devils' revenge on Leafs? Winning the series
Shactman: Leafs concerned, not apologetic
NHL's longest suspensions
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Toronto Maple Leafs news conference
RealVideo: 56.6
Players react to Tie Domi's hit on Scott Niedermayer.
avi: 2903 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Scott Niedermayer is taken from the ice on a stretcher, compliments of a Tie Domi elbow.
avi: 2669 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
Physical play set the tone for Game 4 in Toronto.
avi: 1303 k
RealVideo: 56.6 | ISDN
Cable Modem
 NHL Director of Hockey Operations Colin Campbell says the league's top concern is protecting the players.
wav: 156 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Toronto teammates Gary Roberts and Mats Sundin react to Tie Domi's hit on Scott Niedermayer.
wav: 218 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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