With the Islanders in action Saturday night against St. Louis, the disciplinary hearing for center Casey Cizikas needed to be held quickly. That indeed happened, as the Department of Player Safety has made their ruling, announcing that the veteran has received a one-game suspension for his hit on Carolina defenseman Brendan Smith on Friday night.
The incident occurred just seven seconds into the third period with Cizikas receiving a minor penalty on the play. Smith, meanwhile, left the game and did not return with no word on how long he might be out for. It’s the first time that Cizikas has received any sort of supplementary discipline from the league.
Cizikas will forfeit $12.5K in salary as a result of the suspension, and the money will go to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. He will be eligible to return to New York’s lineup on Tuesday when they host Pittsburgh.
More must-reads: