Paul Skrbina

Nashville Tennessean USA TODAY NETWORK - TENNESSEE

Predators forward Austin Watson's suspension for domestic abuse was reduced from 27 games to 18, the NHL and its players association announced Thursday, leaving some to wonder how this could happen.

When a player is suspended, it's pretty much standard operating procedure that the NHL Players' Association files an appeal on a player's behalf.

Such was the case with Watson after his initial suspension was announced.

Who made the ruling?

Independent arbitrator Shyam Das, not the NHL, took nine games off the original 27-game suspension handed down by league commissioner Gary Bettman.

Das was fired by Major League Baseball in 2012, just months after he overturned Ryan Braun's 50-game suspension for performance-enhancing drug use. He has worked as an arbitrator with the NFL, ruling in the league's favor in the notable 2012 Saints "bounty" case when he upheld the league's suspension of four players accused of paying out bounties for injuring opposing players.

How does the process work?

Watson was suspended by the league after an in-person hearing in early September. The NHLPA then filed an appeal on his behalf, which was reviewed by Das, who then issued his ruling.

More:Predators' Austin Watson has suspension reduced from 27 to 18 games

More:Predators' Austin Watson suspended 27 games by NHL

Why was the suspension reduced?

That's a mystery. Neither Das nor the NHLPA has publicly stated the reason behind the decision. Watson is eligible to return to games Nov. 15, when the Predators play the Coyotes in Arizona.

Is there precedent?

Very little. The NHL is the only one of the four major sports that doesn't have a specific domestic violence policy. Former Kings defenseman Slava Voynov has been suspended indefinitely since 2014, when he was arrested on misdemeanor domestic violence charges. The remainder of his six-year, $25 million contract was terminated. The league is investigating his case to determine whether he'll be allowed to return to the league.

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Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt was suspended for 20 games this season for violating the league's performance-enhancing substance policy. Schmidt and his team said they "strongly disagreed" with the punishment.

What the NHL said

The league released a statement Thursday expressing its disagreement with the ruling.

"We are very disappointed with the arbitrators' decision. We firmly believe that the right of appeal to an arbitrator of league discipline was never intended to substitute the arbitrator's judgment for that of the commissioner, particularly on matters of important league policy and the articulation of acceptable standards of conduct for individuals involved in the National Hockey League."

The statement went on to say the league will "continue our steadfast efforts to ensure everyone in our league is adequately educated and sensitized to the importance of this serious social issue. We will not hesitate to adhere to and enforce — through firm discipline as necessary — the standards of personal conduct we feel are appropriate for our league."

What the Predators said

The Predators released a statement Thursday in the wake of the announcement.

"Our organization was not involved in the appeal of Austin Watson’s 27-game suspension, but we are aware of its reduction to 18 games. As previously stated, our focus has and will continue to be the health and well-being of Austin and his family."

What Austin Watson has said

So far, nothing since his original suspension was announced. Watson is allowed to participate in practices and use team facilities during his suspension, but requests by The Tennessean to make him available to speak have been turned down.

Reach Paul Skrbina at pskrbina@tennessean.com and follow him on Twitter @PaulSkrbina.