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NHL still evaluating Nolan-Klesla, Bissonnette incidents

Kings-Coyotes

The NHL is still evaluating two controversial incidents from Sunday night’s Los Angeles-Phoenix game, a league spokesman said on Monday.

The incidents, which occurred during Phoenix’s 4-2 win, came with eight minutes left in the opening frame.

Kings forward Jordan Nolan leveled Coyotes defenseman Rostislav Klesla with a hit -- one that resulted in Klesla being stretchered off the ice.

Nolan was given two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct and, of note, had been penalized for roughing earlier in the period.

Following the hit on Klesla, ‘Yotes forward Paul Bissonnette left the Phoenix bench to engage in a fight with Nolan, and was given a game misconduct.

Leaving the bench for a fight calls for an automatic 10-game suspension, according to rule 70.10.

Nolan insisted the check was clean, and Kings head coach Darryl Sutter said it was “a good hit.”

Phoenix head coach Dave Tippett thought otherwise.

“It seemed to me like a guy got hit in the head and a player left his feet,” Tippett said afterward. “That’s not for me to diagnose, the league does a good job of those and when they feel like there is a violation they take action.

“So, the league will look at it and we will go from there.”