NHL suspends Duncan Keith for illegal hit on Daniel Sedin
The National Hockey League has suspended Chicago Blackhawks star Duncan Keith for five games after the defencemen elbowed Vancouver Canucks’ goal-scorer Daniel Sedin in the head on Wednesday night, which the league called “dangerous, reckless.”
There is no word yet on when Sedin will return to the ice. He remains out indefinitely and the Vancouver Canucks late Friday would not discuss the status of their star, and would not say whether a concussion has been diagnosed.
Brendan Shanahan revealed the five-game suspension at about 6 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday. He noted that Keith had never been suspended before, but added his elbow caused injury. Shanahan did not declare the elbow to be deliberate.
Five games means Keith will return to the Blackhawks’ lineup with two games left in the regular season.
The decision is a major moment for the NHL, as the Keith-Sedin situation involves two of its best players. Keith was voted best defenceman in 2009-10, and Sedin was top scorer in 2010-11. Both are Olympic gold medal winners, Sedin for Sweden in 2006, and Keith for Canada in 2010.
Pro sports that have violence entwined in their games - hockey, and the National Football League - are at a crucial point in their histories. Public opinion is shifting. The bloodlust of yore, among fans, and tolerance amid the broader populace, had waned, underpinned by the fact that concussion science has revealed frightening findings.
