Mike Peca Suspended For Abusing An Official

The Columbus Blue Jackets may lose 14-year veteran Michael Peca for as long as 10 games after Peca was suspended indefinitely for abusing an official during friday's 5-4 overtime win against the Dallas Stars.

Peca received a game misconduct penalty after grabbing referee Greg Kimmerly's arm to stop him from skating away so he could plead his case following an alleged missed tripping call. "The only contact was me grabbing his arm to slow him down because he was skating away and I wanted to plead my case. They're claiming I hit (a) linesman with my stick after I hit the glass with it, which is completely false," Peca stated.

At 5:21 of the 2nd period, Peca was tripped up by Dallas Stars Brenden Morrow, who extended his left skate and put his stick under Peca's right leg, thrusting upward and sent Peca sailing. A few seconds later, Morrow redirected Mike Ribeiro's shot and scored a power play goal while Peca was still trying to find his feet. Peca skated behind the goal to plead his case to Kimmerly that a penalty should have been called negating the goal, and Kimmerly began skating in the other direction.

The NHL says the infraction falls under Rule 41.3, which covers abuse of officials. The rule states: "Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner, in which physical force applied without intent to injure, or who spits on an official, shall be automatically suspended for not less than ten (10) games." NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell says simply, "you can't touch an official," and adds the league is sensitive when it comes to protecting this group.

Peca pleads his case on Thursday at 11am in New York when he meets with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to appeal the automatic 10-game suspension he was assessed.
The officials felt strongly at the time, that the physical force Peca used was a Category 2 violation, which was more serious and warranted more than a three-game suspension which follows a Category 3 violation. Because the Blue Jackets appealed the suspension brings commissioner Bettman into the mix and following Thursday's hearing Bettman will have the power to do one of three things:

1. He can stick with the rule book and uphold the ten-game suspension.
2. He can tack on additional games (which is regarded as highly unlikely).
3. He can cut the punishment down to the minimum of three games.

Unfortunately, the incident wasn't televised, so the NHL had to try to dig up video to support referee Greg Kimmerly's game report which identified Peca's abuse.

The hearing will include along with Peca and Bettman, the entire on-ice officiating staff of referees Kimmerly and Mike Hasenfratz along with linesmen Shane Heyer and Jonny Murray. The NHL's Director of Officiating, Stephen Walkom, is also expected to attend. Peca, who last year scored 8 goals and added 26 assists in 65 games, has already sat out the Blue Jackets last two games.