Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

Nazem Kadri set to appeal his eight-game suspension

Nazem Kadri set to appeal his eight-game suspension

DENVER, CO - MAY 19: Referees surround Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (91) after a hit that would result in a match penalty during a Stanley Cup Playoffs first round game between the St. Louis Blues and the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado on May 19, 2021. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

[UPDATE: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has upheld Kadri’s eight-game suspension following an appeal.]

Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri will appeal his eight-game suspension for his hit on Blues defenseman Justin Faulk. That report comes from multiple sources, including Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and The Athletic’s Peter Baugh.

Nazem Kadri will reportedly appeal his eight-game suspension

So far, Kadri has served two of his eight-game suspension.

It brings up some interesting logistical questions. How long would the process take to get an answer one way or another?

Generally, there’s a three-part process to appealing a suspension:


  • The Department of Player Safety makes its judgment, as they did by suspending Nazem Kadri eight games for that hit on Justin Faulk.
  • If a player decides to appeal said suspension, the appeal is first held by NHL commish Gary Bettman.
  • If the player is unhappy with Bettman’s ruling, then the appeal goes to an independent arbitrator.

Again, this can take some time. As you may recall, while a past Tom Wilson suspension eventually was reduced, Wilson sat more than 14 games. There was still some point to that, though, as Wilson regained some money lost from that once-20-game suspension.

If Kadri’s suspension was appealed down from eight games to a lower number, but he ultimately sat out those eight games, then he wouldn’t gain much beyond pride.

More on that timeline

One cannot help but wonder: would a player be better off skipping the Bettman part of that process, and going right to the independent arbitrator? It’s certainly possible that Bettman himself would drop Kadri’s suspension to lower than eight games, but if I were in Kadri’s shoes, I’d maybe want to expedite that process.

The Avalanche completed a four-game sweep of the Blues on Sunday. If Kadri’s suspension appeal is unsuccessful, then he would miss six games in a Second Round series. (If the Avalanche were eliminated before that Kadri suspension is finished, then it would spill into the 2021-22 season.)

Considering the multi-step process, Kadri and the Avs might cross their fingers about the Wild at least extending their series vs. the Golden Knights to Game 6 or 7. Naturally, they’d want that anyway -- but that would give the appeal process more time to play out.

Either way, it’s an interesting situation to watch. There wasn’t a ton of precedent for Kadri receiving an eight-game suspension for that hit on Faulk, and we haven’t seen all that many playoff suspension appeal situations that could have impact on that same postseason.

Stay tuned.

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.