Alexander Edler will miss the first two games of the 2014 Olympics after being suspended by the IIHF, according to News 1130. The suspension is a carryover from the World Championships, where Edler was suspended for a hit on Eric Staal.
Alexander Edler suspended for first two games of 2014 Olympics, per report
Sweden will be without Alexander Edler for the first two games of the Olympics.
USA TODAY Sports
Edler injured Staal in a knee-on-knee hit in the World Championships quarterfinals, earning him a suspension for the rest of the tournament that kept him out of Sweden’s gold medal run, but the IIHF deemed the two-game suspension insufficient so it suspended him two more games. Those additional games will be served at the Sochi Games.
Edler reportedly met with the IIHF over the weekend, where he pleaded his case and was told of his suspension. The suspension will allow him to return for Sweden’s final preliminary round game and play in the entire playoff round.
Sweden's blue line depth should keep them from missing Edler too much. Erik Karlsson, Niklas Kronwall and Oliver Ekman-Larsson can man the defense in Edler's absence without a problem. Making matters even better for the Swedes, they have an easy group with the Czech Republic, Latvia and Switzerland so they should win it and avoid the qualification playoffs even with Edler suspended for the first two games.
Update: The International Ice Hockey Federation officially announced the suspension on Tuesday afternoon.
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