The Islanders’ Ross Johnston was suspended for three games by the NHL on Friday because of an illegal check to the head of the Devils’ A.J. Greer early in the first period of Thursday night’s game at UBS Arena.
Johnston will forfeit $15,000 in salary as a result of the ruling, which came after a hearing on Friday with NHL Player Safety.
The NHL ruled that Johnston, who was assessed a minor penalty on the play, could have and should have hit Greer without making his head the main point of contact. This is the first career fine or suspension for the Islanders forward in 95 regular-season games over six NHL seasons.