Boston Bruins' Brad Marchand suspended career-high 6 games; repeat offender status cited as factor

Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand has been suspended six games for roughing and high sticking against Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry.

NHL Player Safety announced the ban Wednesday night following an in-person hearing with Marchand earlier in the day.

Marchand was already suspended once this season, for three games, when he slew footed Oliver Ekman-Larsson. This will be the eighth suspension of Marchand's career and the longest, following two five-game bans previously.

The fact Marchand is a repeat offender factored into NHL Player Safety's decision to make this a six-game suspension.

«Players who repeatedly violate league playing rules will be severely punished for each new violation,» Player Safety noted in a video, citing terms of the NHL/NHLPA aollective bargaining agreement. «Marchand has been suspended seven times, and fined five times previously.»

This incident between Marchand and Jarry occurred during Pittsburgh's 4-2 victory over Boston on Tuesday. The Bruins were trailing by two with less than a minute to play in regulation, and Jarry had just smothered a puck. Marchand was in the vicinity, and after it appeared that Jarry said something to Marchand, the Bruins winger took a swing at him.

Marchand's punch unsurprisingly drew several of Jarry's teammates into the fray. Linesman Andrew Smith was also involved and tried to get Marchand off the ice and away from Jarry, but Marchand escaped Smith long enough to hit Jarry's mask with his stick.

The dust-up earned Marchand a five-minute match penalty for attempt to injure and a two-minute call for roughing. Since the melee took place in the game's final minute, it was automatically subject to NHL review.

Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he watched a