NHL Suspends Scott Sabourin
In a notable disciplinary action, the NHL has announced a four-game suspension for Scott Sabourin of the Tampa Bay Lightning following a controversial incident during a preseason match against the Florida Panthers. This decision, revealed on Monday, comes with a financial penalty as Sabourin will lose $16,145.84, equivalent to approximately $850 for each second spent on the ice in a game that saw rampant misconduct.
Details of the Incident
The specifics of the suspension’s timing remain uncertain, as the Lightning have reassigned Sabourin to their AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, shortly after the hearing. His NHL participation last season was minimal, appearing in just one game.
The incident in question took place during the Lightning’s preseason finale on Saturday night, when Sabourin was penalized a mere 2 minutes and 17 seconds into the game for targeting Florida’s Aaron Ekblad. This aggressive play set off a sequence of events leading to an astonishing 65 penalties being issued throughout the match, along with 13 game misconducts, resulting in a staggering total of 312 penalty minutes. The penalty chaos was so extensive that the officials momentarily lost track of player ejections, illustrated when Florida’s Niko Mikkola’s assist was rendered null after it was discovered he had been ejected earlier in the period.
“It just got foolish. It got out of hand,”
