The NHL suspended San Jose Sharks forward Raffi Torres for 41 games, without pay, for interference and an illegal check to the head in a preseason game against the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, the league announced Monday.
Torres was suspended for his hit on Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg. Silfverberg did not return to the game Saturday, but coach Bruce Boudreau said he was held out as a precaution.
At the time, Torres was assessed a match penalty for an illegal check to the head.
Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Torres will forfeit $440,860.29.
The severity of Torres' penalty probably was influenced by his history.
Torres, 33, had been suspended four times previously in his NHL career. The most recent suspension came during the 2012-13 Stanley Cup playoffs, when he was banned for the rest of the Sharks' second-round series against the Los Angeles Kings for an illegal check to the head of Jarret Stoll.
Torres sat out all of last season with a knee injury, and the start of Torres' season will be delayed this year.
He will be eligible to return for the Jan. 14 game against the Edmonton Oilers.
