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Anton Volchenkov: Four-game suspension 'too much'

Eric Stromgren
USA TODAY Sports
Nashville Predators defenseman Anton Volchenkov has been suspended twice in his career.

Nashville Predators defenseman Anton Volchenkov said Sunday that his four-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head was "too much."

He said he did not try to hurt Calgary Flames forward Michael Ferland when the two were chasing after a loose puck in the second period of Saturday's 4-3 loss.

"This game is so fast now, it's just accidental," he said after sitting out the first game, a 3-1 victory against the Vancouver Canucks. "The next second I just try to protect (myself) because I'm not really sure what will be his next move."

Volchenkov hit Ferland at center ice with 54 seconds left in the period. The team said Ferland suffered a concussion on the play. The NHL made the ruling after a phone hearing on Sunday.

"I don't like it. I don't agree with it. But we'll move forward and do our best while Volch is out of the lineup and wait for him to come back," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said.

That will be on Nov. 11 against the Edmonton Oilers. Victor Bartley took Volchenkov's place on Sunday, playing 13 minutes, 30 seconds.

Volchenkov, 32, who hadn't missed a game this season before the suspension, will forfeit $21,505.36 in pay.

This incident is Volchenkov's third career suspension. He previously was penalized for elbowing in February 2011 (three games) and April 2013 (four games).

He is the third player in the past week to receive a suspension from the NHL's department of player safety because of an illegal check to the head. New York Rangers defenseman John Moore and Vancouver forward Alex Burrows each received three-game suspensions.

On Monday, Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andrew Ference faces a hearing under the illegal check to the head and charging rules for a Saturday night hit on Vancouver's Zack Kassian.

"They have a tough job at the NHL and what they're trying to do," Predators general manager David Poile said. "We're all for taking head shots out of the game. We saw it a little different way than they saw it. We saw it as a hockey hit, and they saw it as a situation that could have been avoided. It's their judgment."

Eric Stromgren writes for The (Nashville) Tennessean

2014-15 NHL suspension tracker

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