VIDEO: Raffi Torres suspended for hit on Blackhawks' Hossa
4/18/2012
Phoenix Coyotes wing Raffi Torres is suspended indefinitely for the shoulder-to-head hit that knocked out the Hawks' Marian Hossa.
Torres has a hearing with the league on Friday, meaning he's definitely out for Thursday's Game 4 and possibly beyond.
Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa left Northwestern Hospital late Tuesday night after being taken off the ice on a stretcher in the first period of Game 3 because of the brutal hit.
Hossa was near the boards at center ice and had just turned and passed the puck when Torres left his skates and delivered a late shot with his shoulder that knocked Hossa to the ice. Hossa was down for about five minutes as medical personnel rushed immediately to his side, and then was taken off of the ice.
Seconds after the hit, Chicago's Brandon Bolig was given a 10-minute misconduct for roughing.
Torres, who had run-ins with the Blackhawks previously while with Vancouver, wasn't penalized. Last season, in Game 3 of the first-round series, Torres delivered a hard hit to Brent Seabrook that injured the Chicago defenseman.
Blackhawks team physician Dr. Michael Terry said, "After initial evaluation on the ice [Hossa] was taken by ambulance to the hospital for further testing, which yielded encouraging results. He has been released from the hospital and we are monitoring him closely at home. We anticipate a full recovery in a timetable yet to be determined."
The Associated Press contributed to this report
Torres knocked Hoffa unconscious on the ice:
Watch the scene in full, from the hit to the aftermath:
The Coyotes reaction: