Columbus Blue Jackets alternate captain Brandon Dubinsky has been suspended for one game by the NHL Department of Player Safety, the league announced on Saturday.
The suspension came down for a cross-check to the neck of Sidney Crosby in Friday’s 2-1 overtime win for the Blue Jackets. Additionally, while Crosby was down and hurt, Dubinsky delivered a cross-check to Crosby’s torso.
Dubinsky will have to sit out of Saturday’s game against the Blues in St. Louis as penance.
Many thought the cross check to the head area would result in a longer suspension, but as is explained in the DoPS video, the cross-check isn’t overly violent, there isn’t a history of Dubinsky making plays like this and Crosby returned to the game after a short trip to the locker room and said after the game that he wasn’t injured.
The league also does a nice job of explaining that player’s should expect physical contact in front of the net, particularly with regard to some minor stick infractions that the DoPS doesn’t generally need to deal with.
Through 18 games this season, Dubinsky has four goals and eight assists. He also carries a score-adjusted CF%Rel of 2.12%, sixth among team forwards.
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Advanced stats via War on Ice.