Dan Carcillo has ben suspended four games by the NHL.

BY LOUIS JEAN
sportsnet.ca

Philadelphia Flyers' forward Dan Carcillo is less than impressed with NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell's decision to suspend him for four games without pay for sucker-punching Matt Bradley in his teams 8-2 loss to the Washington Capitals over the weekend.

"It was a clean hit I thought," Carcillo said after his the Flyers' morning skate. "I just figured because he tried to take a run at me earlier that he would be ready to fight. I mean it's not like he's a guy that doesn't fight. He leads his team in majors so I dropped my gloves, saw him drop his and I punched him. Maybe I got the jump on him but as a fighter you can't wait."

The league begs to differ. In spite of the suspension, Carcillo has no intention of changing the way he plays.

"When I grew up watching hockey, men we're men and hockey was hockey. When you got the jump on a guy that's what you were supposed to do. You were supposed to get the first one in."

Bradley looked woozy after the fight. The Flyers' agitator expressed no remorse for his gesture.

"I'm not a dirty fighter. It was my first instigator in three years and over 60 fights. I think it's pretty stiff."

While Carcillo wasn't repentant for the punch but he did regret the outcome. The Capitals scored three goals during Carcillo's penalties.

"Sitting in the room watching, I felt like I hung my team out to dry. I don't feel good about that. Did it deserve 9 minutes?"

Carcillo's suspension will begin when the Flyers visit the Canadiens Monday night.