NHL suspends Dan Cloutier four games
SLAM.CA/HOCKEY
NEW YORK (CP) -- Goalie Dan Cloutier of the Tampa Bay Lightning has been suspended four games, without pay, for kicking New York Islanders forward Tim Connolly in a game Thursday night.
The suspension will cost Cloutier $11,187.50 US.
Twenty-four penalties were called in Thursday's 4-2 win by the Lightning, including five misconducts, for a total of 100 minutes. But that didn't include Cloutier' actions -- a cross-check followed by a kick to Connolly's head.
"Even though no injury was sustained by the Islander player, we view Mr. Cloutier's action as extremely serious and dangerous," said NHL vice-president Colin Campbell.
The hostilities started when Connolly crashed the net in the first period. Connolly fell into Cloutier and the goalie cross-checked a prone Connolly in the back and kicked his helmet.
Islanders coach Butch Goring screamed at referees Greg Kimmerly and Mark Faucette for their failure to spot the obvious infractions.
"Any time you see a goaltender kick a player in the head, you'd like to hope someone sees it, because that's a pretty serious attempt to injure someone," Goring told Newsday.
Islanders forward Steve Webb exacted some revenge later in the period when he chopped at a covered puck and then cross-checked Cloutier in the back. Webb immediately was tackled by a host of Lightning players and, with Webb under the pile, Cloutier skated over and got in one punch.
Then, while Eric Cairns of the Islanders and Reid Simpson of the Lightning tussled in the corner, Cloutier skated toward Islanders rookie goalie Roberto Luongo and challenged him. Luongo remained where he was at the blue-line.
"I don't know if he thinks he's in the WWF or what," Luongo said. "When I saw him coming over toward me, it was clearly ridiculous."