Liiga’s disciplinary committee has given Pelicans forward Brett Stapley a one-game suspension for a cross-check on TPS defenceman Arttu Tuhkala during their game on 30 October. No penalty was called for the incident during the match, which took place at 57:23.
After reviewing the video and hearing Stapley’s statement, the committee found that the players were battling for position in front of the TPS goal while away from the puck. As Tuhkala moved towards the puck, Stapley struck him from behind with the shaft of his stick, hitting him directly in the neck. The committee said the incident occurred outside the play involving the puck and met the definition of cross-checking.
The committee ruled that Stapley had recklessly endangered an opponent and that a suspension was warranted. His one-game ban was fully served during Pelicans’ match on 31 October, while he was temporarily suspended during the disciplinary process.