[TonyMontana]

NHL suspends Toronto's Wade Belak eight games for two-handed chop on Vaananen


TORONTO (AP) - The NHL suspended Wade Belak eight games for his two-handed chop to the face of Colorado defenseman Ossi Vaananen.

The Maple Leafs defenseman will be out for Toronto's remaining six regular-season games and the club's first two postseason games.

Belak slashed Vaananen on Saturday night and was given a match penalty for attempt to injure. He met with Colin Campbell at the league's office in Toronto on Monday before the NHL disciplinarian handed down his decision.

Belak is a repeat offender, having received a two-game suspension in November 2002 when he elbowed Washington defenseman Brendan Witt in the head.

The 6-foot-5, 221-pound Belak has one goal, one assist and 109 penalty minutes in 34 games this season, his fourth with the Leafs. A career enforcer, he has seven goals, 15 assists and 811 penalty minutes in 275 career NHL games.


ALSO

NHL suspends Rangers' Messier for two games


TORONTO -- New York Rangers forward Mark Messier has been suspended for two games, without pay, for a spearing incident during NHL Game #1124 against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 21.

Messier was assessed a match penalty under Rule 52(a) - Deliberate Injury of an Opponent at 6:13 of the second period after delivering a spear to Pittsburgh player Martin Strbak.
Based on his average annual salary and under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Messier forfeits $44,444.44. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.

Messier will miss Rangers' games March 23 (vs. Pittsburgh) and March 25 (vs. Nashville). He will be eligible to return March 27 at Philadelphia.


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Now for my 2 sense, WTF is the NHL doing? Yes you must be in control of your stick at all times, but Vaananen continued to play in the game. Look at Messier's suspension... 2 fuckin games for delibaretly shoves a stick as hard as he can into the guys groin. I was starting to think the NHL was doing good stuff with the bertuzzi case, now this? Doesn't make sense