James Neal, have a seat. Oh, sorry, did I hit you with the chair? No, you must have moved in its path and it just didn’t get out of the way. Sound familiar?
Neal has been suspended five games by the league for his brutal knee-to-head hit on the Bruins’ Brad Marchand.
If you’re wondering about Neal’s “repeat offender” status, don’t get too hung up on Shanahan’s comment that he’s not a repeat offender. The CBA defines “repeat offenders” only for the purposes of determining wage garnishment. (First timers get it on a per-day basis. Repeat offenders, which Neal is technically not, lose salary on a game-by-game basis, which is more severe). Shanahan said in the video that he considered Neal’s full history — not just the past 18 months.
From the NHL:
Pittsburgh Penguins forward James Neal has been suspended for five games, without pay, for kneeing Boston Bruins forward Brad Marchand during NHL Game No. 438 in Boston on Saturday, Dec. 7, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 11:06 of the first period. Neal received a minor penalty for kneeing.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Neal will forfeit $128,205.15. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
