Wisniewski suspended 8 games

[cheswick]

NEW YORK – Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman James Wisniewski has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason and for eight regular-season games and will forfeit $536,585.36 for an illegal check to the head of Minnesota Wild forward Cal Clutterbuck during a preseason game on September 23, NHL Senior Vice President of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan announced today.

Wisniewski, who was suspended last season, is classified as a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Accordingly, he forfeits his salary based on the number of games in the season (82), rather than the number of days (185). The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Following the horn that ended the third period, Wisniewski delivered a blow that targeted Clutterbuck’s head and made it the principal point of contact. Wisniewski was assessed a minor penalty for illegal check to the head.

Columbus, which lost 3-1 to Washington in preseason action Monday, will now have to start the season without one of its key offseason acquisitions.

"I found out about it between periods. It was a tough one to swallow," coach Scott Arniel said after the game. "Obviously, the League has a mandate, and they're trying to really set a tone here early on in the season, and it was harsweet was very harsh.

"It was a lot harsher than I was expecting, but there's not much we can do about it. We've got to move forward -- they've made their decision. We've already put our best foot forward when it came to our side of the story, and obviously the League felt that, being a repeat offender, a blow to the head, that was the call that needed to be made."

Wisniewski missed the Sept. 25 preseason game vs. Buffalo and Monday's game at Washington, and will sit out Thursday vs. Minnesota and Friday at Carolina. He also will miss regular season games Oct. 7 vs. Nashville, Oct. 8 at Minnesota, Oct. 10 vs. Vancouver, Oct. 12 vs. Colorado, Oct. 15 at Dallas, Oct. 18 vs. Dallas, Oct. 21 at Detroit and Oct. 22 at Ottawa. He will be eligible to return Oct. 25 vs. Detroit.


www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=590022&navid=DL|NHL|home

[LTZ]

Good. Too many guys getting hurt. If a player is willing to throw a hit like that to another's head a message needs to be sent that it won't be tolerated.

[Guardian]

Players have to learn to stop targeting the head.

[selanne405]

I watched Wiz play in Anaheim quite a bit, he struck me as a Pronger type player, interestingly he was playing with him back then. He does have some talent and plays with a lot of agression and toughness but also like Pronger he has trouble controlling it and takes a lot of dumb penalties and throws stupid dirty hit like that. I think thats his 2nd suspension.

[LTZ]

Wisniewski is a repeat offender. Dirty and shows no sign of changing his ways. His previous work:

Hit is at the 1:12 mark




Brutal elbow to the head of Shane Doan:




He was lucky to only get 8 eight games. Next time (and there will be a next time with this guy) he should sit half the season.

[jval07]

Wisniewski is a fricken joke. Actually the amount of hits from behind and head checks in the preseason is a joke? 2-3 everynight. WTF is going on in these players heads?
Glad Shanny is throwing out the suspensions and fines left and right. Gotta get rid of this crap

[selanne405]

That first hit reminded me of Downey's huge cheapshot on McCamond a few years back. I mean clearly that was meant as retaliation for the questionable at best hit on Perry but dont do it like that.

That second hit was really stupid I mean Wiz had Doan lined up perfectly and could have thrown a big but clean hit but he chose not to. Mind you it does seem a little odd that right after the hit Doan is stumbling around like a drunk then shortly later he looks perfectly fine, dirty hit never the less.

I would have given him a bigger suspension.