Brad Stuart Gets His Face Rearranged By Tom Kostopoulos

Calgary’s Tom Kostopoulos has been suspended six games for his blindside hit to Red Wings defenseman Brad Stuart, the NHL announced today. Stuart is out six-to-eight weeks with a broken jaw. Kostopoulos hit Stuart with a shoulder to the head midway through the third period of Friday’s game at Calgary. Kostopoulos was assessed a roughing penalty on the play. General manager Ken Holland spoke to NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell about the incident Sunday morning. The Wings sent the medical report on Stuart to the league on Saturday. “Kostopoulos delivered a blow to the head of an unsuspecting and vulnerable player,” Campbell said in a statement. “As well, he targeted the head of his opponent and, while the hit was not from the blindside, the head was the principle point of contact.” Campbell also said the fact that Stuart was not in possession of the puck at the time was a factor in his decision.

Stuart won’t need surgery and doesn’t have to have his jaw wired shut because the two fractures were non-displaced, but he won’t be able eat solid food for a while and will needs weeks before he can even start to practice again. Coach Mike Babcock called the hit “disgraceful,” saying, “It was a bad hit, a blindside hit to the head. Uncalled for, unneeded. Disappointing.” Kostopoulos must forfeit $29,569 of his salary, according to a league release.

A six game suspension for this hit is understandable if the guy is a first time offender, cause hockey is incredibly fast paced and everyone makes mistakes. But for a guy with a reputation of cheap hits like Kostopoulos, giving him six games is ridiculous. He made an equally dirty hit on Mike Van Ryan two years ago and got 3 games. Once you know a guy is a cheap bastard I think you gotta amp up the intensity of the punishment. Just like a high stick which draws blood being worth 4 minutes instead of 2, I think a second or third infraction should be worth six games but Kostopoulus' suspension doesn't start until Brad Stuart is cleared to play. That way he sits out the length of the injury he caused and then still has to sit the six games. Might make him think twice about going Claude Lemiuex all over the league.