John Scott was tossed from Sunday’s game, but will he get suspended for his actions?
That’s the question facing the senior vice president of NHL Player Safety, Stephane Quintal, who has yet to levy a suspension in the 2014-15 NHL season.
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With just over six minutes remaining in the Sharks’ 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose’s Scott came off the bench to instigate a fight with Anaheim’s Tim Jackman, sparking a line brawl between the Pacific Division rivals.
The six-foot-eight enforcer was dealt a game misconduct for leaving the bench on an illegal line change.
As Sportnet’s Chris Johnston notes, Ryane Clowe was suspended two games in February 2013 for a similar offence:
Florida’s Eric Selleck was also given a one-game suspension for leaving the bench on a legal line change in March 2013 to fight Kevin Westgarth.
Leaving the bench on an illegal line change does not result in an automatic suspension, however, so the Scott incident does not fall in the same category as the Rule 70.10 infraction committed by Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Clarkson in the 2013 pre-season.
Clarkson hopped the bench last year to fight Scott and was automatically given a 10-game ban.
Scott is no stranger to supplementary discipline. He served a seven-game suspension last October for an illegal check to the head of Boston Bruins forward Loui Eriksson.
He has one goal and 22 penalty minutes in five games played this season.
As of 11:30 a.m. ET Monday morning, there was no word whether Quintal would tap Scott for a disciplinary hearing.
UPDATE: Scott will have a hearing with the NHL Monday afternoon.
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