Bettman upholds 8-game ban for Avs forward Kadri

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman denied on Monday the appeal of an eight-game suspension to Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri.

The ban — handed down by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety on May 21 — is the result of an illegal check to the head of St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk by Kadri during Game 2 of the Avs’ first round bout with Blues.

In his ruling, Bettman said that even if he were to accept Kadri’s plea that he did not intend to make contact with Faulk’s head, “his actions were nonetheless reckless.”

“It is no excuse to say that Mr. Faulk was eligible to be hit. Mr. Kadri chose a poor angle of approach towards Mr. Faulk and, to make matters worse, as he delivered the check, he elevated his shoulder up and into Mr. Faulk’s head, which was not necessary to deliver the check,” Bettman wrote in his ruling. “The force used was excessive and manifested a disregard for the safety of the opposing player.”

Kadri, who was assessed a match penalty for the hit, has already served three games of the eight-game ban.

Fan Avalanche Insider Adrian Dater reports the Avs forward will appeal Bettman’s decision to a neutral arbitrator, though the second appeal has not been scheduled as of Monday afternoon.

After the suspension was announced, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said he was “a little surprised” at the length.

“I looked through all the headshot suspensions for the last year. A lot of two-gamers get handed out that were significant hits to the head,” Bednar said at the time. “We’ve had some guys put out with hits to the head that you know are still out with no suspension and two games.

“So, I thought, generally the rule of thumb, in playoffs, you get a little less, and he got significantly more, so it is what it is.”