NHL suspends Jason Spezza much longer than his victim Neal Pionk

The Toronto Maple Leafs knew it would be bad as soon as veteran forward Jason Spezza was called for an in person hearing with the league, which is required if the NHL wants to suspend a player for five games or more.

This was of course after the chaotic game between the Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, in which Spezza kneed Jets defenseman Neal Pionk in the head.

The league has just announced that Spezza has been suspended six games for Kneeing Winnipeg’s Neal Pionk. 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.

Spezza gets triple his time, six games, as Pionk was hit to the head. The Jets' player won't travel with the team on their upcoming road trip.

And Spezza will stay put too. This is the first time in a 1,203-game NHL career that Spezza has received supplemental discipline.