The NHL’s Department of Players Safety has suspended San Jose Sharks forward John Scott four games for punching an unsuspecting opponent. Scott delivered a backhanded punch to Anaheim Ducks defenseman Tim Jackman’s jaw Monday night. He was not penalized on the play.
This will be Scott’s third suspension over the last two seasons, which makes him a repeat offender under the collective bargaining agreement.
By the time this new ban wraps up, Scott will have missed 13 games due to suspension, six of which came during the 2014-15 campaign. Oddly enough, the last time Scott was suspended, it was for leaving the bench early to engage Jackman in a fight in a previous game. So there’s not only a suspension history, there’s history between these two players.
Player Safety cited Rule 46.15, which addresses punches on an unsuspecting opponent. The department felt this infraction rose to the level of suspension because of the injury caused to Jackman, as well as the fact that the Ducks defenseman had no reason to expect that punch from Scott. They felt Scott’s action was “neither predictable nor acceptable” even though Scott’s action may not have been pre-meditated.
It doesn't get more clear cut for the department here. A bad punch, an injury to an opponent and Scott’s repeat offender status made this a likely easy decision for the Department of Player Safety.
