Jason Spezza files to appeal lengthy suspension

Toronto Maple Leafs veteran forward Jason Spezza was suspended six games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for kneeing Jets defenseman Neal Pionk in Winnipeg on Sunday night. He will forfeit $21,000 in pay.

The incident happened in the third period when Pionk was reaching to clear the puck with his hand. Spezza’s knee made contact with Pionk’s head on the hit. The blue liner is now in concussion protocol, though he was suspended as well. Pionk is serving a two-game suspension after a knee-on-knee hit on Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin earlier in the same game.

This is the first time in a 1,203-game NHL career that Spezza has received supplemental discipline. Moments after the announcement from the league, many insiders, including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, reported that Spezza will appeal the suspension.

His appeal goes to the Commissioner Gary Bettman first, then if not satisfied, he can go to a third party arbitrator.

When talking with the league about the hit, Spezza and the Maple Leafs had presented the following arguments, per insider Jonas Siefel of The Athletic.

The Player Safety department agreed that Neal Pionk was eligible to be checked, but did not believe that Spezza would have checked Pionk legally had he not fallen.

Spezza is hoping that an arbitrator will see the arguments in his point of view.