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Albany d-man Kelly gets 10-game suspension for ‘sickening’ head shot on Toronto prospect

Albany Devils defenseman Dan Kelly has been suspended 10 games “as a consequence of a match penalty for an illegal check to the head” of Toronto forward Andreas Johnson during an AHL playoff game on Tuesday.

From the AHL press release:

Kelly will miss Albany’s next 10 games, beginning with Game 5 of the North Division Finals vs. Toronto tonight (May 12). If Albany is eliminated before the suspension can be served to completion this postseason, remaining games would carry over to the next time Kelly is active on an AHL club roster.

Johnson, 21, was taken to the hospital with a suspected concussion as a result of Kelly’s elbow.

“He was in pretty rough shape leaving here,” Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe said Wednesday, per the Toronto Sun. “He didn’t remember anything and there was pretty good cause for concern when he went off to the hospital.

“A member of our training staff and our captain, Andrew Campbell, stayed with him there. (After his release) we took care of him through the night. He came to breakfast late this morning in good spirits and that made me feel a lot better after watching that hit over and over. It was sickening.”

Kelly, 26, is a pending unrestricted free agent. He’s spent the past six seasons with Albany, after going undrafted out of the OHL.