NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan made his call on John Erskine’s elbow on Wayne Simmonds from Friday: the Washington Capitals defenseman has been suspended for three games. Shanahan said Erskine “recklessly elbowed” Simmonds, as you can see from the video explanation:
Erskine will miss Sunday’s afternoon NBC game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tuesday’s contest against the Toronto Maple Leafs and another matchup against Pittsburgh on Thursday. He’ll be eligible to play against the Florida Panthers on Feb. 9.
The suspension will cost Erskine, 32, exactly $24,324.33.
That hit sidelined Simmonds, 24, for one game already (tonight’s match against the Carolina Hurricanes). He’ll be re-evaluated in the near future.
How do you feel about the hit? Was the punishment too light, too severe or just right?