The NHL announced Friday that Edmonton winger Zack Kassian has been suspended seven games for kicking Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak in the chest, blade first, during the first period of Thursday's game.
As a repeat offender, Kassian's seven-game suspension will cost him $166,463.41 in salary.
Cernak was briefly sitting on Kassian and Kassian's teammate Josh Archibald. But as Kassian pushed himself free, he aimed the kick at Cernak to get Cernak off his teammate.
"He was holding my leg, it was reactionary, I was just trying to get him off me, kick him off me.