Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri’s eight-game suspension was upheld Monday by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
Bettman heard Kadri’s appeal of the suspension last Thursday. The NHL Players’ Association has filed another appeal for Kadri’s benefit to an unbiased referee. Shyam Das will fill in as the referee, the NHLPA disclosed to ESPN’s Emily Kaplan. Kadri will stay suspended during the appeal process.
Kadri has already served three games of the suspension, missing the Avalanche’s last two games in their first-round series against the St. Louis Blues and Game 1 of their second-round arrangement against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Kadri got the suspension on May 21 for a “high, powerful check” to the head of Blues defenseman Justin Faulk in the third time of Game 2 against St. Louis on May 19. After an audit by the referees, Kadri was surveyed a five-minute major and match punishment for an unlawful check to the head.
At the point when the NHL gave the suspension, the league called Kadri “a player with a substantial disciplinary record,” as this is the 6th suspension of his career.
This is Kadri’s third playoff suspension in the course of the last six postseasons. He was suspended for the equilibrium of the first round in 2019 for cross-checking, which ended up being five games, and was suspended three games for boarding in 2018.
Every one of those incidents happened with the Toronto Maple Leafs, who exchanged him to Colorado the mid year of 2019. Kadri had 18 focuses for the Avalanche in the 2020 air pocket end of the season games when he was able to stay out of trouble.
Kadri had 32 points in 56 games this season as Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy and home-ice advantage all through the end of the season games. He customarily plays in the group’s second line.