The league has suspended Engelland for five games for his illegal check to the head of the Red Wings' Justin Abdelkader on Saturday. Engelland had an in-person hearing, which might five games or more, but the league decided on five.
According to Brian Leetch of the Department of Player Safety "Engelland tucks his shoulder and drives through Abdelkader, recklessly picking his head and making it the main point of contact." St. Louis' Maxim Lapierre and Colorado's Cody McLeod also were suspended five games for their concussion-related hits and the league decided the same for Engelland.
Abdelkader was helped off the ice on Saturday. He is currently going through the league's concussion protocol. He was limited to no-contact in his first practice back Wednesday. He is still day-to-day but will possibly not play in Thursday's game.
But I'm here to talk about Engelland's suspension and was it fair? Well, at least the minimum was put in there. But unlike Lapierre's hit on Dan Boyle, Abdelkader was able to walk off into the locker room with his help. Dan Boyle had to be carted off the ice from his hit. I think the suspension's fair. He caused a concussion for Abdelkader. You can't do that anymore. You give another person a concussion, you're going to have a talk with the discipline office and get a long suspension. So, it's fair and it's expected. This guy may be a tough guy, but what he did was the wrong way to go. And now the Penguins will have to do without him for the next five games.
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