Panthers Defenseman May Face 10-Game Suspension for Breaking Clear NHL Rule
The Florida Panthers had a brutal encounter with Tampa Bay on Saturday night, and now, Niko Mikkola may face a 10-game suspension as a result of his actions.
It is still currently the NHL pre-season, but apparently, no one told either the Florida Panthers or the Tampa Bay Lightning that, as the two teams went to war following AJ Greer's actions against Brandon Hagel in their prior pre-season encounter.
In Saturday's showdown, the were 312 penalty minutes assessed and 16 ejections, but it was one ejection in particular that drew the eye of the entire NHL world after Niko Mikkola went on to help his team score despite being ejected.
Mikkola Should Face Automatic 10-Game Suspension Per NHL Rules
As a result of taking the ice again before the appropriate time following his ejection, the rulebook now reveals that he could be faced with a 10-game suspension for doing just that.
Any player who has been ordered to the dressing room by the officials and returns to his bench or the ice surface for any reason before the appropriate time shall be assessed a game misconduct and shall be suspended automatically without pay for the next ten (10) regular league and/or play-off games.
After the encounter, two players have been fined and two will face a suspension as a result of their actions, but as of right now, we've not heard from the Department of Player Safety on the Mikkola situation.
This will be one to monitor, as the rulebook states it should be an automatic suspension, and with the regular season ahead, this could be a suspension for the veteran blue liner.
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