There have been a number of tough calls for Brendan Shanahan and the Department of Player Safety when handing out supplemental discipline this season. But Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dane Byers gave Shanahan and his crew a lay-up with his shoulder-to-the-head of Andrew Desjardins of the San Jose Sharks on Saturday night.
The hit earned Byers a three-game suspension, which was announced Monday evening.
Here's Shanahan explaining his decision:
From the NHL:
Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dane Byers has been suspended for three games without pay for delivering an illegal check to the head of San Jose Sharks forward Andrew Desjardins during NHL Game #654 in Columbus on Saturday, Jan. 14, the National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety announced today.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Byers will forfeit $8,918.91. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
The incident occurred at 3:01 of the second period. A match penalty for attempt to injure with an illegal check to the head was assessed on the play.
Byers was last suspended one game in Nov. 2009 for his participation in a scrum with the Vancouver Canucks while he was a member of the New York Rangers.
Desjardins began the cognitive and neurological tests today, as per NHL protocol, but no word yet on his status going forward.