Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri is appealing his eight-game suspension, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The appeal will be heard directly by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, and Kadri can appeal to an independent arbitrator if he's unsatisfied with the second ruling, Friedman adds.
The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Kadri after he delivered an illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk during Game 2 of the teams' first-round series.
Nazem Kadri receives a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Justin Faulk. pic.twitter.com/RVZkVsqNMz
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 20, 2021
Kadri has already missed Game 3 and Game 4 of the series because of the ban.
The 30-year-old has been suspended three times in his last four trips to the postseason and six times overall in his NHL career. His last playoff suspension came in 2019 with the Toronto Maple Leafs for a high hit on Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk.
