Jordin Tootoo has been suspended two games by the NHL for his Saturday night charge of Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller.
Jordin Tootoo Suspended Two Games For Charging Ryan Miller
Jordin Tootoo of the Predators has been suspended two games for his charge of Sabres goaltender Ryan Miller.
The suspension will cost Tootoo $13,513.52, which will go to the Emergency Players’ Assistance Fund.
Brendan Shanahan of the NHL's Department of Player Safety made the announcement in a video published on NHL.com.
Shanahan cites several points in his explanation of the suspension, most notably that the force from Sabres defenseman Christian Ehrhoff was not enough to direct Tootoo into Miller, and that because of that, the onus is on Tootoo to "avoid or at least minimize contact."
The common argument against supplemental discipline on this play was that Tootoo actually did try to avoid contact with Miller by jumping out of the way at the last second. Shanahan’s rebuttal to that point: He hit him hard and there was a “lack of any significant interference steering Tootoo into the goaltender.”
Tootoo’s leap at the final second before impact actually maximized the impact and directed it to the head, instead of what may have been the intent to minimize the impact, according to Shanahan.
For more on the suspension, check in with Predators blog On the Forecheck.
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