Ducks' Corey Perry suspended for four games

Mike Brehm, USA TODAY Sports | USATODAY

Anaheim Ducks star Corey Perry was in the news on Wednesday, and not related to his contract status or the accompanying trade speculation.

Instead, he was suspended for four games over his hit Tuesday night on the Minnesota Wild's Jason Zucker. Perry was assessed a five-minute major for interference and a game misconduct at 4:21 of the second period of the Ducks' 2-1 win.

Zucker had reversed the puck to his defenseman in the Ducks' zone and was looking the other way when Perry hit him.

"Perry continues on his path and hits the Minnesota winger nearly a full second after he released the puck, making significant contact with Zucker's head," the NHL's Rob Blake said in his explanatory video.

Zucker was on the ice for about three minutes before he sat up with assistance. He left the game with help and didn't return.

"I didn't change my path of direction," Perry told the Orange County Register after the game. "I was committed. I tried to let up. It's hard. It happened so fast. It's unfortunate."

Blake said, though, that Perry had ample time to avoid the hit or at least to minimize it. He said that although the league accepted Perry's explanation during his hearing that the hit wasn't malicious, it was reckless because Zucker had no expectation of being hit that late after getting rid of the puck.

This is the second four-game suspension of Perry's career. He got that many games in 2009 for elbowing Philadelphia Flyers forward Claude Giroux, his lone other suspension since joining the league.

Perry will forfeit $115,135.12 in pay. The Ducks' second-leading scorer will miss the remaining two games of the Ducks' trip and two home games. He can return on March 22 against the Detroit Red Wings.