Arizona Coyotes forward Zac Rinaldo has been suspended for six games, the NHL’s player safety department announced on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Dec. 23 when the Coyotes were hosting the Colorado Avalanche. After Rinaldo landed a clean bodycheck on Avalanche centre Nathan Mackinnon, he turned and landed a violent punch on defenceman Samuel Girard. Girard appeared to be following the play but he also skated by and shoved his stick into Rinaldo moments before the punch.
Rinaldo was assessed a match penalty on the play.
This will be his fifth separate suspension in his NHL career and he will have sat for 25 total games by the end of this latest infraction.
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