NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld an eight-game suspension issued to Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri following his illegal check to the head of Blues defenceman Justin Faulk in Game 2 of a first-round series against St. Louis.
The NHL Players’ Association has appealed to a neutral discipline arbitrator on Kadri’s behalf, according to The Athletic.
Update: The NHLPA has filed an appeal to the neutral discipline arbitrator (Shyam Das) on behalf of Nazem Kadri. <a href=”https://t.co/O3zoCVP798″>https://t.co/O3zoCVP798</a>
—@PierreVLeBrun
Bettman heard Kadri’s appeal before announcing his decision Monday. The incident took place at 6:26 of the third period on May 19 in Game 2. Kadri was assessed a match penalty for the check to Faulk.
Kadri missed the last two games of the Blues series – Colorado advanced with a four-game sweep — and Game 1 of the Avalanche’s second-round series versus Vegas on Sunday night.
WATCH | Kadri gets match penalty for hit to the head:
Colorado forward Nazem Kadri is ejected from the game after a high hit on St. Louis defenceman Justin Faulk. 1:01
If the suspension — the sixth of Kadri’s career — is not completed during the playoffs, any remaining games will be served at the beginning of next season.
In his opinion affirming 8-game suspension for <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/Avs?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#Avs</a> Nazem Kadri, commissioner Gary Bettman wrote that the punishment represented “appropriate escalation” and was “consistent with the principle of progressive discipline.”<br><br>NHLPA argued for a 4-game playoff suspension.
—@frank_seravalli
The 30-year-old Kadri was the only Avalanche player to suit up in all 56 regular-season games. He finished with 11 goals and 21 assists. He also led the team in faceoff wins.