Phoenix Coyotes' Paul Bissonnette to appeal suspension.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From AZ Central:

Coyotes enforcer Paul Bissonnette is appealing the 10-game suspension he was issued Monday by the NHL for leaving the bench in an illegal line change during an altercation in Sunday’s preseason game at Jobing.com Arena against the Los Angeles Kings.

Bissonnette’s agent, Mark Guy, confirmed the decision.

In the first period of Sunday’s game, defenseman Rusty Klesla was leveled with an open-ice body check from Kings center Jordan Nolan and had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher. After that, Nolan became an easy target for the Coyotes and center Martin Hanzal elbowed Nolan along the boards later in the period.

A scrum ensued and that’s when Bissonnette made an illegal line change, coming off the bench before a teammate returned to it, to join the action. He was given a game misconduct for leaving the bench, and that triggers an automatic 10-game suspension.

The appeal process was revamped under the new collective bargaining agreement. An appeal first will be heard by Commissioner Gary Bettman, but now players who’ve been suspended six or more games have the option to appeal that decision to a neutral arbitrator.

...

Just for fun, I checked his Twitter account and there has been no activity since 14/09.

This seems pretty cut/dried in it's facts. I'm guessing he's "rolling the dice", hoping to get a reduced suspension from the neutral arbitrator. Does it seem like the new "system" might be worse than the old system?

What I did find funny was:

Bissonnette is allowed to continue to participate in preseason games.

“We’re gonna keep pushing like he’s a normal player,” coach Dave Tippett said.

This might be easier said than done.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

It was a clean hard hit by Nolan too.

Is there any video of Bissonnette actually leaving the bench?

[MCleveland89 122]

It was a clean hard hit by Nolan too.

Is there any video of Bissonnette actually leaving the bench?

I hope so, but I haven't seen any. This is classic example of the rule though. I love Biz, but if you left the bench it's 10 games. You think he could read the rule book with all the time he spends on the bench.

[troubadour 40]

He changed his twitter account to biznasty2point0, which he keeps active. There is nothing on there since 9/14, however.

[rrasco 1,312]

FWIW, here is the original hit. Pretty brutal, but legal.

http://video.nhl.com/videocenter/?id=444642

[WorkingOvertime 536]

It was a clean hard hit by Nolan too.

Is there any video of Bissonnette actually leaving the bench?

AFAIK the NHL hasn't released the video of the illegal line change.

The suspension could be reduced if they determine it was a legal line change, similar to the Clowe susspension.

“It was a (line) change,” Tippett said Monday morning before the ruling was announced. “Bis was next going. I don’t know if he jumped early or what the situation was. It wasn’t much of an altercation.”

[rrasco 1,312]

AFAIK the NHL hasn't released the video of the illegal line change.

The suspension could be reduced if they determine it was a legal line change, similar to the Clowe susspension.

I was trying to remember who had done it recently. Couldn't remember what the outcome was either. Damn I'm getting forgetful, what's today?

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From NHL:

The National Hockey League announced today that it has reduced Phoenix forward Paul Bissonnette's suspension from 10 games to three (3) games for his conduct in leaving his team's bench to join an altercation during NHL Preseason Game No. 9 in Phoenix on September 15, 2013.

...

Because this incident occurred during a preseason game, there was less video evidence than is typically available for these types of reviews, and as a result, the precise timing and circumstances pursuant to which Bissonnette entered the ice surface are not apparent in the video. What is clear in the video is that by the time an altercation ensued, there were six (6) Coyotes skaters on the ice as compared to the normal five (5) skaters for the Kings, and that Bissonnette was the “extra skater” that had entered the ice surface and joined the altercation. Bissonnette was assessed a game misconduct penalty for leaving the Players' Bench illegally under Rule 70.6.

This is laughable on so many levels.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

any video on the biz-nasty hit?

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

A scrum ensued and that’s when Bissonnette made an illegal line change, coming off the bench before a teammate returned to it, to join the action. He was given a game misconduct for leaving the bench, and that triggers an automatic 10-game suspension.

Did Uncle Gary take the video equipment out once the new owners took over the Glendale Coyotes?