Coach Yeo comes to the defence of Ryan Suter.

With Wild defenceman Ryan Suter awaiting punishment after elbowing Steve Downie in the head during Tuesday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, things are not going the Wild's way at the moment. They are on a 6 game losing skid and the last ting the Wild can afford is losing their time-on-ice leader to suspension. Suter described the incident on Tuesday: From Sean Gentille of the Sporting News: That was … I reached for the puck, and I kind of poked it, and then I went to put my hand (up on the stick) and he, like ran into … I hope he’s all right. Obviously, that’s not the type of player I am. It was kind of a fluky-type thing. He kind of just brushed my arm, my elbow as he went by.” “I poked for (the puck), and then I went to get my stick. Like I said, I hope he’s all right. That’s not the type of player I am. Well today coach Mike Yeo expressed his hope for a fine instead of a suspension and hopes the NHL's Department of Player Safety takes it easy on his top defenseman. "That's not the type of player he is and I know he felt bad about it even during the game," Yeo told Michael Russo of the Star Tribune. Suter has never once been suspended in his 712 game NHL career.