The Toronto Maple Leafs will be down a defenseman for two games after Roman Polak was ejected from their game against the Blue Jackets on Wednesday night.
Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak suspended 2 games for boarding Oliver Bjorkstrand
Polak boarded Bjorkstrand early in the third period of Wednesday night’s game.
Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
The NHL’s Department of Player Safety had a hearing with Polak on Thursday morning and gave him a two-game suspension.
Early in the third period, Polak boarded Columbus forward Oliver Bjorkstrand in the numbers. Bjorkstrand was clearly in a vulnerable position, and the hit had him down on the ice after Polak rocked him.
Polak was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct, ejecting him from the one-goal game with 19 minutes left. The penalty resulted in a strange seven-minute penalty kill for the Maple Leafs, which Toronto killed off.
Bjorkstrand did not return to the game and did not travel with the Blue Jackets to Washington for their game on Thursday.
The suspension is Polak’s first in his NHL career.
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