May

If there was a cliché dictionary, under the phrase "look on the bright side" would be a picture of Phoenix's Brad May and the quotation: "Phoenix isn't a bad place to serve a suspension. It's better than Buffalo."

May returns to the ice Thursday against the Rangers after serving a 20-game suspension, tied for fourth-longest in NHL history, for a slash to the head of Columbus forward Steve Heinze on Nov. 11. He also lost $120,000 in salary.

While May is frustrated with the severity of the suspension, he is excited to return to the game and wants to move on.

"I am excited to be back, that's for sure. I felt like hockey was taken away from me," May said.

May on the Coyotes' ownership situation

"If you want to make it a distraction, it certainly can creep into your mind. I'm not saying it hasn't, but it can't be used as an excuse. If we were winning – and we were winning earlier – no one would be talking about it. I always say you can use it, or it can use you. You have to let it inspire you. I haven't been in the locker room as much, but it's difficult when names are mentioned in trade rumors, and there's no closure. Some guys are uneasy, for sure. … But you have to be optimistic that it will all work out well."

The NHL has been outspoken in its stance against stick-related incidents. In turn, May has taken it as his responsibility to deal with the suspension honorably, refraining from loudly voicing his displeasure. But while May says he understands the league's intent, he isn't sure if sitting out so many games or forfeiting money is actually a deterrent. However, at this point, he'd just like to see consistency.

"I think everyone and their dog knows you don't strike a player in the face intentionally. To throw 100 games at a guy doesn't change what a person knows," May said. "We have to be accountable for it, and it has to be abolished. There are mistakes you can't condone, but you know it's going to happen. And there's a fine line.

"Consistency is important to me now that I've served my time. … When you start taking money away, that hurts. But I don't know if it's fair or if it deters people. I do know we talk about it in the locker room and feel for the guys who lose money."

May has always been a tough player – over 1,500 penalty minutes in his career – but he has never been known as a dirty player. He also had never received a suspension for a "supplementary discipline incident" – infractions which cause the league to tack on additional games to automatic suspensions that are spelled out in the rule book.

The slash looked bad and injured Heinze, but the Blue Jackets forward only received nine stitches and didn't miss a game. In addition, May's slashing came on the heels of the Marty McSorley incident and looked eerily similar. So, the league was under pressure to act swiftly and strongly.

At the time, May was playing well and still acclimating to a new team and new teammates after being acquired from Vancouver in the offseason. Suddenly, he was out of the loop for almost two months.

"No, question," he said. "It was bad timing."

One more way to pass time

Another thing occupying May's time during his suspension was "Shoot for a Cure," a program designed to raise funds for spinal cord research and education. May is chairman of the advisory board. "A friend of mine, Kurt Gengenbach, was a guy I played with growing up. He broke his neck just as I left for Junior B. … He's been a quadriplegic since," May said. "We kept in touch for a long time, and he came to me this summer and asked if I'd get involved. I was flattered to be a part of it." Official site: www.shootforacure.org – Brian A. Shactman

So, what the heck does an NHL player do while suspended for six weeks?

"One thing's for certain, I spent more time at the rink," said May, who maintains he's in tip-top shape for his return against the Rangers. "I would try to get there first, ride the bike and then skate with the team. I was pretty much on the team schedule."

And, May added, he did take advantage of not having travel with the team to every road game.

"I did take some time off too, played some golf. I went to Vegas one weekend – that was fun – and probably played golf 10-12 times," he said.

"It's a good climate to be suspended in."

Brian A. Shactman covers the NHL for ESPN.com and can be reached at brian.shactman@espn.com.