Boulerice gets 25 games

From tsn.ca

National Hockey League disciplinarian Colin Campbell has handed Flyers forward Jesse Boulerice a 25-game suspension for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks centre Ryan Kesler in the head Wednesday night.

It's the longest suspension handed out in NHL history for an on-ice incident. New York Islanders forward Chris Simon also got 25 games for his two-handed slash to the face of Ryan Hollweg of the New York Rangers last season.

''This was more than a careless and reckless play - it was senseless,'' Campbell said in a release. ''This was a deliberate cross-check to the face where Jesse Boulerice broke the shaft of his stick on Ryan Kesler's jaw. Boulerice went out of his way to deliver the cross-check and we will not tolerate this kind of conduct.''

The punishment comes exactly two weeks after the league handed Flyers forward Steve Downie a 20-game suspension for his hit on Ottawa Senators forward Dean McAmmond in the pre-season.

The incident happened in the third period of Philadelphia's 8-2 win at GM Place.

With the Flyers up 7-2 at the time, Boulerice cross-checked Kesler in the face after the Canuck tried to hit Flyers defenceman Randy Jones behind the net.

Kesler lay on the ice for a few minutes before being helped to the Vancouver bench. He didn't return to the game. Boulerice received a match penalty and game misconduct.

"I reacted in a bad way - the wrong way," Boulerice said following the game. "I wanted to give him a hit back."

Kesler practised Thursday and expects to play tonight when the Canucks face the Oilers.

"We're by no means condoning what happened," Flyers coach John Stevens said after the team announced the suspension. "He's going to have to stand up and pay the price."

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren echoed the same sentiment.

''I think we're in agreement that there's no place in the game for this anymore. I do think it was an isolated incident. Jesse lost his composure, lost his cool. It's something that's not the right thing to do, at any time,'' Holmgren said.

''I expected the worst,'' said Holmgren. ''Is 25 the worst? It's pretty close to what I expected.''

Boulerice, 29, signed with the Flyers after completing a tryout in the exhibition season.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, Boulerice will forfeit $63,502.75. He will be eligible to return on December 13 at Montreal.

This is not the first time Boulerice has been suspended for a stick foul. When he played junior hockey, he was suspended for one year by the Ontario Hockey League for hitting Andrew Long in the face with a baseball-style swing of his stick. Boulerice also faced assault charges in that case.

LONGEST NHL SUSPENSIONS FOR ON-ICE VIOLENCE

25 games - Jesse Boulerice, Philadelphia, Oct. 12, 2007, for cross-checking Vancouver centre Ryan Kesler across the face in a game on Oct. 10.

25 games - Chris Simon, New York Islanders, March 11, 2007, for the rest of the regular season (15 games) and playoffs for his two-handed stick attack to the face of New York Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg. Since Islanders played only five playoff games, suspension extended to first five games of 2007-08.

23 games - Marty McSorley, Boston, Feb. 2000, for knocking out Vancouver's Donald Brashear with a stick-swinging hit. On Nov. 7, 2000, the suspension was extended by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to Feb. 20, 2001.

23 games - Gordie Dwyer, Tampa Bay, Sept. 19, 2000, for abusing officials and coming out of the penalty box to fight in an exhibition game against Washington.

21 games - Dale Hunter, Washington, May 1993, for a blindside check of Pierre Turgeon of the N.Y. Islanders after a goal in a playoff game.

20 games - Steve Downie, Philadelphia, Sept. 28, 2007, for leaving his feet to deliver a deliberate hit to the head Ottawa forward Dean McAmmond in a pre-season game Sept. 25.

20 games - Todd Bertuzzi, Vancouver, March 11, 2004, for his sucker-punch of Colorado forward Steve Moore on March 8. Bertuzzi's suspension was for 13 regular season games, plus playoffs. Bertuzzi was reinstated 17 months later, after the year-long lockout.

20 games - Tom Lysiak, Chicago, Oct. 1983, for intentionally tripping a linesman.

20 games - Brad May, Phoenix, Nov. 15, 2000, for hitting Columbus' Steve Heinze on the nose with his stick in a game on Nov. 11.

Files from THE CANADIAN PRESS were used in this report.