Maple Leafs' Kadri on suspension: 'I'm not going to sit here and whine about it'

Nazem Kadri isn't going to dwell on his latest circumstance after learning he will miss the Toronto Maple Leafs' next four games for hitting Edmonton Oilers forward Matt Fraser in the head.

"It's obviously hard to deal with," Kadri told David Alter of mapleleafs.com. "I'm not going to sit here and whine about it. I’m going to come back to work and be professional, no matter if I’m on the sidelines, on the ice or in the dressing room."

Related: Nazem Kadri suspended 4 games for head shot on Oilers' Matt Fraser

Fraser suffered a concussion on the play, which likely contributed to the length of the suspension. Kadri insists the contact with Fraser's head was incidental.

"I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet ... but I will in the future for sure," he told Mark Zwolinski of the Toronto Star. "It wasn't my intention to hurt him or anyone. It was obvious I felt bad about it on the ice when it happened."

Kadri's status as a repeat offender also factored into the four-game ban. He was suspended three games last season, which falls within the NHL's 18-month window for repeat offender status.

Being a repeat offender also increases the amount of Kadri's fine, which is one of the largest monetary punishments handed out by the league this season.

Kadri can rejoin his teammates on March 28 against the Ottawa Senators and Maple Leafs interim head coach Peter Horachek thinks the 24-year-old will bounce back well following his latest bout with adversity.

"I expect him to be in exceptional shape when he gets back out and he’ll have to work his backside off and be ready," Horachek said. "(He'll) be around the team, act like a pro and be a leader to the guys and show up every day. That's all he can do."

Kadri's 106 hits place him among Toronto's top physical forwards and he says he won't change his game because of the setback.