Commissioner Gary Bettman reduces Raffi Torres' suspension by Four Games -NHL Update
Good news for Phoenix Coyotes’ enforcer, Raffi Torres, as National Hockey League (NHL) commissioner, Gary Bettman, announced a four-game reduction in the player’s 25-game suspension on Monday, July 2, 2012.
Raffi Torres was awarded one of the league’s lengthiest of suspensions in history as he attacked Chicago Blackhawks forward, Marian Hossa, during the 2012 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in the quarterfinals.
Hossa suffered a serious concussion as he was slammed into the boards and onto the ice forcing him to miss the remainder of the series which they lost to Phoenix Coyotes. Torres failed to appear in the remaining 13 games that Coyotes participated in and will now be missing the first eight games of the 2012-2013 NHL regular season as well.
According to Gary Bettman, the 25-game suspension was meant to force Raffi Torres to miss the playoffs in every situation, even if they had made the playoffs, and that need had been fulfilled.
“This type of on-ice conduct cannot and will not be tolerated in the NHL,” Bettman said in a statement. “We have seen similar behaviour before from Mr. Torres and, particularly given the league’s heightened scrutiny on hits to the head, I believe that a very significant penalty is warranted in this case. We hope and expect that the severity of this incident, and the league’s response to it, will help prevent any similar incident from occurring in the future.”
Torres will still be giving up $170,731.68 in salary along with missing the entire preseason due to his status of being a repeat offender and such an incident in the future is said to be very costly for the player.
Luckily for Chicago Blackhawks, Marian Hossa is reported to be doing well and is expected to be fully healthy for the upcoming regular season.
"The reports I've gotten ... are encouraging and positive," Hawks general manager, Stan Bowman, said. "No setbacks or anything. He continues to progress."
Hopefully, Raffi Torres has gotten the idea of what kind of play is expected in the NHL and with the concussion epidemic being faced by the league at the moment, it will be hard for such players to survive in the future.
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