Burrows suspended 10 games for attack on Hall
OTTAWA — The NHL came down hard on Ottawa Senators winger Alex Burrows late Wednesday, suspending him for 10 games.
The ruling came after Burrows had an afternoon telephone hearing with the league’s player safety department.
Burrows wasn’t talking publicly, meaning Ottawa Senators had coach Guy Boucher had the unenviable task of trying to defend the indefensible.
The former Canucks forward responded to a clean, open ice hit from New Jersey Devils star Taylor Hall with an act of rage during Tuesday’s game.
Burrows chased Hall around the ice, earning a cross-checking penalty and an additional minor for roughing after punching Hall in the head several times.
The worst was yet to come. Lying on top of Hall on the ice, Burrows banged his knee against Hall’s head several times.
“It’s an emotional game,” said Boucher, speaking before the suspension was handed down. “You don’t want (that) result out of it, but, at the same time, we want to be more physical, we want to be hard to play against, and sometimes it gets you to go over the edge a little bit.”
The “little bit” was, of course, open to debate. While Hall wasn’t hurt and even scored on the power play with Burrows in the penalty box, Burrows’s actions went viral.
Much like Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand, Burrows has a history of crossing the line.
■ Earlier this season, Burrows was fined $5,000 for roughing against Dylan Demelo of the San Jose Sharks.
■ In 2014, while with the Vancouver Canucks, Burrows was suspended for three games for a hit on Montreal Canadiens defenceman Alexei Emelin.
■ During the Stanley Cup Final in 2011, Burrows bit one of the fingers of Bruins centre Patrice Bergeron.
■ In 2010, Burrows was fined $2,500 for accusing referee Stéphane Auger of bias.
Boucher said he recognized that Burrows had a nasty reputation, but also said that the veteran winger had generally played within the rules since the Senators acquired him last season.
When you’re an agitating presence, Boucher said, there’s a fine line between what’s acceptable and what’s not.
“It’s very difficult,” Boucher said. “When you’re on the ice, it’s not like you’re sitting on the couch at home, thinking about how you’re going to deal with things. Things happen in fractions of seconds. When you’re emotional, which you need to be to play a hockey game, sometimes it takes you to the other side of the line, and that’s where you try to manage it.”
Burrows has three goals, four assists and 41 penalty minutes in 51 games this season.