The NHL announced Tuesday afternoon, that defenceman Andy Sutton has been handed a five game suspension for his hit on Colorado rookie forward Gabriel Landeskog. The penalty seemed to be in line with what most experts were guessing Sutton would receive. Brendan Shanahan had the following to say about the hit.
"At the moment of impact, it's clear that the head is the principal point of contact and has been recklessly targeted," said Shanahan. "Landeskog is looking back for the pass and rotates his head, but the position of his head does not dramatically change."
He also added, that the rugged defenceman's history was taken into consideration before making the final decision. "We've also taken into consideration that although Sutton has played a physical game over his 14 years, he's been fined and suspended for various illegal checks," said Shanahan.
Sutton made the following statement to the media. "I have been informed of and understand the league's decision, however, I had no intention of delivering an illegal check," said Sutton. "For 14 years, I've always played the game with respect and integrity and I will continue to do so when I return."
As previously mentioned, look for the Oilers to call up former Los Angeles Kings first round pick Colten Teubert before they start their six game road trip. Funny, Edmonton's trip starts off Thursday night against those same Los Angeles Kings.
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