On Monday, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Trevor Zegras has been suspended for three games for interference on the Detroit Red Wings’ Michael Rasmussen during Sunday’s game. No penalty was called on the hit and Rasmussen left the game due to injury and did not return.
The reasoning for supplemental discipline from NHL Player Safety is that the hit was interference, it was late, it caused an injury and there was significant head contact—combined with the force of the hit—on the play.
This is Zegras’ first suspension. He will miss Tuesday’s road game against the Buffalo Sabres along with Thursday and Saturday’s home games against the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks.
In his absence, the Ducks may recall one of their top scorers from the AHL in Sam Colangelo, who has had several NHL stints this season. Colangelo has 35 points in 37 AHL games this season and leads the San Diego Gulls in goals with 19. He was also named to the AHL All-Star Game.
Losing Zegras for three games while pushing for a playoff spot is a big blow. His creativity with the puck is an element that the team misses when he isn’t in the lineup, so how they fare in and adapt to his absence will be key.
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