Oct 27, 2009

NHL's Ducks Lose Artyukhin To Three Game Suspension

Anaheim's Right Wing Suspended By NHL For Slew-Footing

The NHL has suspended Anaheim Ducks right wing Evgeny Artyukhin for 3 games for a slew-footing incident that occurred in Wednesday night's game against the Dallas Stars. Although no penalty was called during game, Stars defenseman Matt Niskanen was injured on the play that happened in the second period of the game. Artyukhin will also lose $34,756.11 in salary during his absence due to the suspension, and he won't be eligible to take the ice for the Ducks again until October 31st when the Ducks travel to Phoenix to play the Coyotes.

The suspension of Artyukhin is not likely to hurt the Ducks during his absence. He has only scored two goals in eight games, but has hurt the team by racking up 23 penalty minutes in those eight games. There is no place for cheap, dirty, or unsportsmanlike play at the professional level, and the NHL is doing everything it can to deter such conduct from occurring. The Ducks and the other NHL franchises may find that their best bet is to eliminate the negative results the team incurs by such behavior by getting rid of the source of the problem. Maybe then the game can be played the way it should be played, and unnecessary injuries would be eliminated; and that would be a win win situation for everyone involved in the NHL.

By Bryan Jackson
Staff Writer
Betsportsweb.com
Home of the true Dime Line