The NHL suspended Corey Perry five games for elbowing Ryan Ellis during the 2020 Winter Classic.
The Dallas Stars fell into an early 2-0 hole thanks in part to Perry’s mistake, as he received a five-minute major and game misconduct. The Stars eventually rallied for a 4-2 win against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday.
The Department of Player Safety explained its reasoning in the video below:
As you can see in the video, the league acknowledges Perry’s explanation that he didn’t intend to elbow Ellis in the head, but explains that Perry was “in control of this hit at all times, and solely responsible for the end result.”
Perry described the exchange as “an awkward play” and said he “didn’t mean to hurt” Ellis. The injury factors in, and it’s worth noting that Ellis recently landed on IR.
Eventful times for Stars
This suspension continues a whirlwind month for the Stars.
The Stars fired Jim Montgomery as head coach on Dec. 10, vaguely citing “unprofessional conduct.” Montgomery finally commented on the matter on Friday, stating that he checked into rehab for alcohol abuse and supported the Stars’ decision. Rick Bowness stepped in as head coach during a process that probably felt like a trial by fire.
Dallas began 2020 on a high note by hosting a successful Winter Classic, an event that wasn’t just a success on the ice.
The Stars stand as the Central Division’s third seed among all of this turbulence.
No Anaheim reunion with Perry suspended
Both Perry and his former Ducks teammates probably circled Jan. 9 on their calendars, as that was set to be his first game in Anaheim as an opponent. Instead, Perry will sit in the press box.
The five-game suspension sidelines Perry through a Jan. 14 road game against the Avalanche. After that, Perry is eligible to return during a Jan. 16 home contest versus the Sabres.
Perry got off to a bumpy start with the Stars, breaking his foot before the season even began. So far, Perry only has three goals and 13 points in 34 games. That’s a similar output to the paltry 10 points he managed in 2018-19 with Anaheim.
This now marks Perry’s third suspension, although it’s his first since 2013.
Predators in peril, now lose key defenseman
Nashville dropped its third consecutive loss by falling to Dallas on Wednesday. Now, with Ellis out, things look bleak. The Predators face a potentially harrowing run of five of their next six games on the road, which will only be tougher without Ellis.
Pekka Rinne: “We’re in trouble right now.”
— Robby Stanley (@RStanleyNHL) January 1, 2020
All things considered, it’s not too surprising that Perry will sit five games.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.