The Department of Player Safety has reached its verdict on Red Wings winger David Perron, announcing (video link) that they have handed him a six-game suspension for his cross-check on Senators defenseman Artem Zub on Saturday.
The video explains why the suspension was well beyond the norm for a standard cross-check:
"This is not a hockey play. This is an intentional strike with a stick made with the purpose of exacting retribution on an opponent. Perron takes several strides toward Zub, and, with sufficient time to choose to engage Zub in a different manner, or at the very least ensure that the cross-check is delivered directly to the body, comes up excessively high with his stick and delivers a shot to Zub’s head with force."
The video also acknowledged that Detroit tried to make the claim that this was not a direct blow to the head but that the league disagrees, saying that “the brunt of the impact of this blow was clearly absorbed by Zub’s head due directly to the actions and choices made by Perron”.
Perron is eligible to appeal the suspension. It would first be heard by Commissioner Gary Bettman. If he was to uphold the suspension, Perron would then be eligible to appeal to an independent arbitrator since the suspension is for more than five games.
Perron will forfeit $148.4K as a result of the suspension with the money going to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
Barring the suspension being reduced on appeal, he will be eligible to return on Dec. 22 against Philadelphia.
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