Phoenix Coyotes winger Raffi Torres has been suspended indefinitely, pending a hearing Friday, for his hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa during Game 3 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series Tuesday, the league announced.
That means Torres will miss at least Thursday's Game 4.
The hearing was planned for Wednesday but was rescheduled at Torres' request. It will be convened at the NHL's New York office. An in-person meeting could result in a suspension of more than five games.
Torres appeared to jump into the hit at 11:51 of the first period, lowering his shoulder against the head of Hossa, who no longer had the puck. The NHL is trying to protect players from concussions by cracking down on shots to the head.
No penalty was called on Torres, and Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville called the officiating a "disgrace."
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Hossa was immobilised, carried off the ice on a stretcher, taken to a hospital and released later Tuesday night.
"It was a brutal hit," Quenneville said Tuesday. "I saw exactly what happened and it was right in front of me. All four guys missed it. It was hard. The refereeing tonight was a disgrace."
Quenneville might face a fine for his remarks on the officiating.
The hit sparked an intense reaction from Blackhawks fans. Coyotes announcer Tyson Nash, who once played for Quenneville on the St. Louis Blues, told "The Waddle & Silvy Show" Wednesday on ESPN 1000 that he received death threats for calling the play a clean hit.
Nash recanted those remarks after viewing more replays of the incident.
It's been a postseason filled with violent incidents, fights and suspensions. Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews said Tuesday he has no idea what kind of discipline Torres might receive.
"Who knows?" Toews said. "I don't know what to expect anymore. I don't think anyone does. So we'll see, it will probably be a surprise, I guess. We've got four (referees) out there. When there's a guy getting carried off on a stretcher, you think that there might be something wrong with what happened."
Phoenix leads the series 2-1.
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