NEW YORK, Nov. 1 (UPI) -- The NHL Tuesday slapped Edmonton Oilers defenseman Andy Sutton with a five-game suspension for an illegal hit leveled on Colorado forward Gabriel Landeskog.
Sutton delivered the blow in the third quarter of Friday's 3-1 Edmonton victory over the Avalanche as Landeskog looked back for a pass near the blueline.
Sutton's shoulder made direct contact with Landeskog's head on the play.
League discipline czar Brendan Shanahan asserted Sutton purposely targeted his opponent's head on the play, taking an improper route in order to do so.
The Oilers defenseman missed Sunday's 4-2 win over St. Louis and will miss games against Los Angeles, Phoenix, Montreal and Boston, becoming eligible to return Nov. 11 at Detroit.
