Following an appeal, David Perron’s six-game suspension was upheld.
Forward David Perron of the Detroit Red Wings was given a six-game ban, which NHL commissioner Gary Bettman affirmed on Friday.
Two days after cross-checking Ottawa Senators defenceman Artem Zub in the head during the first period of their game in Detroit, Perron was suspended on December 11. The hit was seen by the league as payback after Detroit’s Dylan Larkin was struck by Senators Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly, knocking the Red Wings captain out cold.
Perron has already completed serving the full six games of his ban; his appeal was heard on Tuesday. He can make a comeback on Friday when the Philadelphia Flyers are in town.
Perron’s cross-check was officially declared by the NHL to be a “intentional strike with the stick made with the purpose of exacting retribution on an opponent,” as opposed to “a hockey play.” He received a match penalty as a result of the event.
Kelly and Joseph received light penalties, but Zub was able to continue playing. Regarding Larkin, there is no schedule for his comeback.
Perron’s agent, Allan Walsh, referred to the suspension as “a farce” and attempted to draw attention to his client’s otherwise spotless record from the Department of Player Safety. Prior to this month, Perron had played in 1,081 games in his career and had never been suspended.
