shmuck
10-24-2005, 08:46 PM
NEW YORK (CP) - The NHL suspended Atlanta Thrashers forward Eric Boulton for six games Monday for elbowing Tampa Bay rookie Paul Ranger in the head.
Boulton was assessed a major and a game misconduct for the flagrant elbow, which came in the final minutes of Atlanta's 6-0 loss to the Lightning on Thursday. Ranger suffered a hairline fracture of the jaw and a concussion, and is sidelined indefinitely.
''It is clear Mr. Boulton's actions were careless and caused injury,'' NHL vice-president Colin Campbell said in a statement. ''There is no circumstance that can justify this type of action.''
Boulton, who leads the NHL with 38 penalty minutes in just four games, has attracted plenty of negative attention already.
The six-foot-one, 215-pound forward racked up 21 penalty minutes in the Thrashers' 9-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 14. After delivering a dangerous elbow to Leafs forward Eric Lindros in the third period of that game, Boulton was harshly criticized by Toronto head coach Pat Quinn.
''Boulton took a run at one of our guys,'' Quinn said. ''That's trying to hurt people and there should be no place in the game for that. This was a disgrace.''
That game also saw Thrashers defenceman Andy Sutton run Toronto's Darcy Tucker into the end boards face-first, leaving Tucker with a bloodied forehead. Sutton was suspended four games.
After Thursday's incident, Lightning head coach John Tortorella lashed out at Boulton in a profanity-laced tirade.
''The ... guy should be playing in the ... East Coast Hockey League, but instead he takes out a ... NHLer,'' Tortorella said. ''He'll be suspended, but who ... cares? No one wants to see him on the ice anyway.''
The suspension will also cost Boulton $15,306.12 US.
Boulton, who has already sat out one game, will miss Atlanta's next two games against the Lightning - Oct. 29 in Atlanta and Nov. 4 in Tampa Bay. He is eligible to return Nov. 5 when the Thrashers visit Philadelphia.
Boulton was assessed a major and a game misconduct for the flagrant elbow, which came in the final minutes of Atlanta's 6-0 loss to the Lightning on Thursday. Ranger suffered a hairline fracture of the jaw and a concussion, and is sidelined indefinitely.
''It is clear Mr. Boulton's actions were careless and caused injury,'' NHL vice-president Colin Campbell said in a statement. ''There is no circumstance that can justify this type of action.''
Boulton, who leads the NHL with 38 penalty minutes in just four games, has attracted plenty of negative attention already.
The six-foot-one, 215-pound forward racked up 21 penalty minutes in the Thrashers' 9-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 14. After delivering a dangerous elbow to Leafs forward Eric Lindros in the third period of that game, Boulton was harshly criticized by Toronto head coach Pat Quinn.
''Boulton took a run at one of our guys,'' Quinn said. ''That's trying to hurt people and there should be no place in the game for that. This was a disgrace.''
That game also saw Thrashers defenceman Andy Sutton run Toronto's Darcy Tucker into the end boards face-first, leaving Tucker with a bloodied forehead. Sutton was suspended four games.
After Thursday's incident, Lightning head coach John Tortorella lashed out at Boulton in a profanity-laced tirade.
''The ... guy should be playing in the ... East Coast Hockey League, but instead he takes out a ... NHLer,'' Tortorella said. ''He'll be suspended, but who ... cares? No one wants to see him on the ice anyway.''
The suspension will also cost Boulton $15,306.12 US.
Boulton, who has already sat out one game, will miss Atlanta's next two games against the Lightning - Oct. 29 in Atlanta and Nov. 4 in Tampa Bay. He is eligible to return Nov. 5 when the Thrashers visit Philadelphia.