San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres has been suspended 41 games for a hit to the head of Anaheim Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg that took place a pre-season game Saturday.
Torres hit Silfverberg midway through the second period of a 5-1 Ducks win with Silfverberg’s head being the principal point of contact. Silfverberg did not return to the game, but Ducks head coach Bruce Boudreau said after the game his player was fine and the team kept him out for precautionary reasons. Torres was assessed a match penalty for an illegal check to the head.
“Same player every year,” Ducks centre Ryan Kesler told reporters after the game. “I played with the guy [in Vancouver]. He needs to learn how to hit. That has no part in our game anymore.”
This is the fifth time Torres has been suspended in his NHL career. During the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs he was suspended for the duration of a second-round series against the Los Angeles Kings after an illegal hit to the head of Jarret Stoll.
In the 2012 post-season he was handed a 25-game suspension for a hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa (it was later reduced to 21 games) while he was with the Coyotes.
Earlier that year he was given two games for a charge on Minnesota Wild defenceman Nate Prosser, and in 2011 when on the Canucks he earned a four-game ban for a hit to the head of Edmonton Oilers youngster Jordan Eberle.
The NHL Department of Player Safety tweeted Sunday that Torres waived his right to an in-person hearing. Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, Torres forfeits $440,860.29 in salary.
The Sharks and Ducks meet in the regular season for the first time on Oct. 10 in San Jose.
