NEW YORK, April 2 (UPI) -- Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Andre Roy received one of the longest suspensions in NHL history Tuesday, a 13-game ban for leaving the penalty box and physically abusing an official.
The incident occurred with 9:51 left in Monday night's 6-4 loss to the New York Rangers.
After an altercation with a pair of Rangers, Roy left the box and returned to the ice. In his attempt to engage the players in New York's penalty box, Roy used excessive force against a linesman.
Roy, who leads the team with 211 penalty minutes, received 10 games for leaving the box and three for abuse of an official -- both automatic suspensions.
He will miss the last seven games of this season and the first six in 2002-03.
The 13-game ban matches the seventh-longest in NHL history and is the most severe since Marty McSorley received a record 23-game suspension for slashing Donald Brashear to the head in February 2000.
