Belak gets boot for elbow
By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun
Wade Belak's fight to stay a Maple Leaf regular has been lost for the next two games.
The decision was not made by general manager/coach Pat Quinn, rather National Hockey League senior vice-president Colin Campbell, who yesterday suspended the defenceman/forward two games for Tuesday's elbow on Washington Capitals' Brendan Witt.
"I was defending myself," Belak claimed after being ejected from Toronto's 5-4 win with a major and misconduct. "He (Witt) ran into my elbow."
Witt was on the ice for a few moments, but came back later in the game, while Quinn backed his player's claim he'd raised his elbow as protection as Witt prepared to level a heavy check.
Belak will miss this weekend's games against the Philadelphia Flyers and Buffalo Sabres and forfeit $8,555.56 US in salary, which will be donated to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. He was enjoying a good game at forward on Tuesday as a replacement for the injured Alyn McCauley, having played defence the night before in Ottawa.
It has been a rough season for Belak, who sat 10 of the club's first 11 games. In two of the seven he did play, his ice time was curtailed by injury and ejection.
With McCauley and forward Shayne Corson both questionable with groin injuries, the Leafs are leaning towards a call-up from St. John's. Among those likely to be summoned are Josh Holden, Aaron Gavey and Alexei Ponikarovsky.
The league also announced yesterday that Phoenix Coyotes defenceman Todd Simpson was suspended three games. He received a match penalty and an automatic one-game sentence in Monday's game against the Dallas Stars for attempt to injure, a high stick on Rob DiMaio.
"DiMaio was hassling (Daymond) Langkow, one of our best players, so I stepped in and hit him," Simpson said after the game. "As soon as I did, (Stars' Manny) Malholtra jumped me, so I don't know how it's a match penalty."
Simpson will lose $24,166.68 in salary.
