According to a team release, the NHL has suspended Tampa Bay Lightning defender Pavel Kubina three games in response to a play that occurred during the first period of Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks. During the play, Kubina delivered an elbow to the head of forward David Bolland. No penalty was assessed at the time.
Kubina is being fined approximately $60,000, and will miss the next three games. He will be eligible to return to on March 17th when the Lightning face the Montreal Canadians.
SB Nation’s Lightning blog Raw Charge has been on top of the news, assessing fan’s opinion of the ruling on Twitter. Most fans appear to think the ruling is fair and that the league is upholding its rules as they should, but many also feel that the league is being inconsistent with its ruling based on their actions earlier this week.
This past Tuesday night, Boston Bruin defender Zdeno Chara delivered an arm to the head of a Montreal Candiens forward, yet Chara was not suspended or fined. The distinction between these two events is unclear.