The National Hockey League’s Player Association has officially filed an appeal to reduce the six-game suspension handed to Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron earlier this week.
Perron was given the sentence after cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub. Perron reacted in defense of of Dylan Larkin getting knocked on the ice after getting hit up high by Mathieu Joseph in front of the Ottawa Senators’ net.
Zub was not involved in the incident before Perron took action.
This incident marked the first time Perron has been suspended during his 1,081-game NHL career. As a member of the St. Louis Blues, Perron was fined $5,000 after cross-checking Nazem Kadri, then with the Colorado Avalanche, during Game 4 of the opening round of the 2022 playoffs.
The 35-year-old winger has 13 points in 26 games with the Red Wings this year. It’s his second in the organization after scoring 24 goals and 56 points in 82 games. It was his fourth consecutive 50-plus point season, and the seventh of his NHL career since making his debut with the St. Louis Blues in 2007-08.
The Red Wings last won a game on Dec. 5 against the Buffalo Sabres. They fell to San Jose on Thursday before losing 5-1 to Ottawa in the game that Perron cross-checked Zub. Perron was not in the lineup for Detroit’s 6-3 loss on Monday, nor today’s game against St. Louis.
The Red Wings are next in action on Dec. 14 when they take on the Carolina Hurricanes. They’ll then play Philadelphia on Saturday before heading back to Michigan to face Anaheim on Dec. 18.
Detroit sits fourth in the Atlantic Division with 32 points, seven behind Boston in first and four behind Florida in second. The Wings currently hold the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but they are just one point behind Tampa Bay in third place.
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