NEW YORK (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith was suspended for five games without pay by the NHL on Friday for elbowing Vancouver star Daniel Sedin in the head.
Keith lunged at Sedin in the neutral zone in the first period of Chicago’s 2-1 overtime victory Wednesday night, hitting Sedin in the head. Sedin didn’t have the puck at the time.
Keith was given a minor penalty for elbowing. The suspension will cost him $149,688.
Sedin missed the Canucks’ victory Thursday night in Dallas because of a suspected concussion. He has 30 goals and 37 assists in 72 games this season.
Keith waived his right to an in-person hearing when the league’s department of player safety requested he come to New York and had a phone hearing with NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan.
