Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno has been suspended three games for elbowing Colorado Avalanche forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced Monday.
Late in the second period of Saturday’s matchup, Foligno’s elbow appeared to clip Bellemare’s jaw with a high hit at centre ice, sending Bellemare falling backwards where he hit his head hard on the ice.
Foligno was issued a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct. Bellemare left the game and did not return.
During a media availability after the game, Foligno told reporters the hit was not intentional.
“There was no intent to hit him like that at all… I felt sick to my stomach when I saw that I hit him in the head,” he said.
