SAN JOSE, Calif.
Larry Csonka Dolphins Jersey . -- San Jose
Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said Friday that the organization strongly
disagrees with the NHLs decision to suspend forward Raffi Torres for a hit that
knocked out Los Angeles forward Jarret Stoll. Wilson says Torres will not appeal
the suspension because he does not want to be a distraction to the team. San
Jose trails the series 2-0 heading into Game 3 at home on Saturday night. "It is
abundantly clear that this was a clean hockey hit," Wilson said in a statement.
"As noted by the NHL, Raffis initial point of contact was a shoulder-to-shoulder
hit on an opponent who was playing the puck. He did not leave his feet or
elevate, he kept his shoulder tucked and elbow down at his side, and he was
gliding -- not skating or charging." The NHLs Department of Player Safety
sharply disagreed while suspending Torres on Thursday for the rest of the
second-round series. It is the fourth career suspension for Torres, who is
considered a repeat offender in dangerous hits under the leagues collective
bargaining agreement. Stoll was bent forward while trying to play a bouncing
puck when Torres approached him from the side for a violent hit in Game 1 on
Tuesday night. Stolls head snapped back violently before he fell forward onto
the ice. In an explanatory video released by Brendan Shanahan, the NHLs senior
vice-president of player safety, he said Stolls head was "the principal point of
contact" in the hit, creating grounds for suspension. Although Torres initially
made contact with Stolls right shoulder, Shanahan ruled that the shoulder hit
was only a glancing blow, as evidenced by the direction both players travelled
after the contact. Wilson said the head must be targeted to violate Rule 48.1
and there is no evidence that Torres targeted Stolls head. Wilson also said
Stoll put himself in a vulnerable position just before the hit to play a
bouncing puck. "It appears that the NHL has not only made an inappropriate
application of this rule but is trying to make an example out of a player who is
being judged on past events, one who has changed his game dramatically this
season and taken only six minor penalties in 39 games," Wilson said. While
playing for Phoenix last season, Torres received a 21-game suspension --
initially 25 games -- for a high hit on Chicago star Marian Hossa in the first
round of the playoffs. Torres was suspended for two games in January 2012 for
charging Minnesota defenceman Nate Prosser, and he sat out four games in April
2011 for a hit to the head of Edmontons Jordan Eberle while playing for
Vancouver. Stoll missed Game 2 of the series and there is no timetable for his
return. "Its a clean hit," Sharks forward Logan Couture said. "Unfortunately,
the guy got injured. If they suspended guys for every time someone else got
hurt, even if its a clean hit, there would be a lot of suspensions in this
league. And its just not fair." Torres teammates said they are using Torres
absence as inspiration. "Its the playoffs you always find something to rally,"
forward Scott Gomez said. "Hes a great teammate and a great guy and we want him
to play. Hes tremendous in the room with the young guys. Its our job to get it
to the next round so he can play."
Jordan Cameron Jersey . The 17-year-old
native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month
in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem.
Andrew Franks Dolphins Jersey . According the
Toronto Star, a knee injury will keep Sundin out of the lineup, which
includes former teammates Gary Roberts, Darcy Tucker, Tie Domi and
Curtis Joseph.
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. -- Gus Malzahn finally had his day in Fayetteville.After 17 days of Olympic
hockey, the NHL returns to action tonight with a make-up game between the
Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes. And theres plenty of intrigue
surrounding the game as all eyes are focused on what the Sabres may or may not
do with goaltender Ryan Miller going into the trade deadline. Miller, who kept
his habit of not talking to reporters after the game day skate, is in the final
year of his contract and could opt to leave Buffalo via free agency over the
summer. The 33-year-old served as backup to Jonathan Quick for Team USA in
February and he could make the difference for a playoff hopeful team down the
stretch. The rebuilding club is mulling over whether or not to deal the star
netminder - or perhaps even re-sign him - before March 5. Like Miller, Sabres
forward Steve Ott is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent over the
summer, and, unless Buffalo is able to sign Ott to an extension, his days in
Buffalo could be numbered as well. "Obviously I told them I want to be here,"
Ott recently told his clubs official web site. "Well see where it all goes. Im
professional enough to know the business side of things as well and what the
situation is here as well. Well see how it all plays out in the next two weeks
or so." Buffalo ended its pre-Olympic schedule on a four-game losing streak and
it will try to halt that 0-4-0 stretch tonight. With its win last month in
Buffalo, the Hurricanes have won two straight and four of their past five games
in western New York. Carolina has claimed four in a row and five of six in the
series overall. Buffalo is beginning a three-game homestand tonight, but that is
hardly a consolation for a club that has lost eight straight as the host. All
told, the Sabres are 9-17-5 as the home team this season.
Jelani Jenkins Jersey. The Sabres also will
be in action on Wednesday night when they host the Boston Bruins. This contest
was originally scheduled for Jan. 7 before wintry weather forced that meeting to
be postponed until tonight. The clubs met once after that postponement when the
Hurricanes notched a 5-3 win in Buffalo on Jan. 23. Alexander Semin had two
goals in Carolinas triumph, while Anton Khudobin -- the NHLs First Star for
January -- turned aside 26-of-29 shots. Khudobin could hold the key to getting
Carolina back to the postseason for the first time since the spring of 2009. The
27-year-old Russian is turning heads in his first season in Raleigh and has
clearly outplayed longtime No. 1 backstop Cam Ward in 2013-14. Khudobin entered
the Olympic break with a 19-13-6 record, 2.14 goals against average and a .927
save percentage. Ward, meanwhile, is 6-7-5 with a 3.15 GAA and .895 save
percentage. Carolina enters tonight three points out of a playoff berth in the
Eastern Conference, and Khudobin could make a positive difference for the club
down the stretch. Although Khudobin helped the Canes win six of their last nine
games before the break, the club did find itself on the losing end in three of
its final five tests prior to the Olympics. "Its a restart button for
everybody," said Hurricanes head coach Kirk Muller of the time off. "Its a great
opportunity for everyone to take a deep breath and use this break mentally and
physically. Our goal is to make the playoffs, and were going to need everybody."
Carolina was 2-2-0 on a four-game homestand that completed the teams pre-
Olympics schedule and the club will emerge from the hiatus to begin a five- game
road trip. The Hurricanes are just 11-10-4 as the visiting team this season.
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