NEW YORK – Toronto Maple Leafs forward Clarke MacArthur has been suspended for the remainder of the preseason and two regular-season games, without pay, for an illegal hit to the head of Detroit Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader during a preseason game on September 30, National Hockey League Senior Vice President of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan announced today.



Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, and based on his average annual salary, MacArthur will forfeit $35,135.14. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.



The incident occurred at the end of the third period and no penalty was assessed on the play.



MacArthur will miss a preseason game tonight vs. Detroit and regular season games Oct. 6 vs. Montreal and Oct. 8 vs. Ottawa. He is eligible to return Oct. 15 vs. Calgary.



A full explanation of Shanahan's decision, complete with video, will be available on NHL.com later today.