Nashville's Zachary L'Heureux will be forced to watch for the next little while.
The rookie Predators forward was suspended for three games by the NHL on Thursday for a slew-foot on Minnesota Wild defenceman Jared Spurgeon.
In a video, the NHL Department of Player Safety said the supplemental discipline was a result of the action of slew-footing that forced Spurgeon to crash into the boards as well as the resulting injury.
The league added that it took into account that L'Heureux had been neither suspended nor fined in 33 previous NHL games in his career.
Spurgeon was forced to leave Tuesday's game in the second period as a result of the incident, and he is now expected to miss two to three weeks with a right leg injury.
The play came less than four minutes into the middle frame, as the two skated into the corner before L'Heureux kicked Spurgeon's legs out from under him.
L'Heureux was assessed a match penalty.
The 21-year-old was selected 27th overall in the 2021 draft by Nashville and has totalled four goals and nine points in his rookie season.
The Halifax Mooseheads product had no shortage of controversy in his career even before reaching the NHL, as he was suspended nine times in the QMJHL and twice in the AHL.
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