Nhl Decrees Simon Will Sit For Two Games
The NHL suspended Chris Simon of the Washington Capitals for two more games Tuesday for his racial slur about Mike Grier, one of six black players in the league.
After a hearing with NHL vice president Brian Burke, Simon apologized for his remarks at the end of Saturday’s game against Edmonton.
“I want to publicly apologize to Mike Grier for my words,” he said in a statement. “I know they were unacceptable and I am very embarrassed by them.”
Simon already has missed one game and will sit out Washington’s games at Pittsburgh on Wednesday and at Buffalo on Thursday.
Simon apologized Monday in person to Grier.
“I feel very saddened about what’s happened,” Simon told the Toronto Star. “I did say what they said I said, and I just wanted to apologize to Mike.”
The two players met at an airport hotel in Toronto, where the Oilers were staying after playing Buffalo.
“Chris was really struggling with what he said,” Grier said. “… He said ‘I’m sorry’ and I believe him, he had a very sincere look in his eye. It takes a standup person to come up here and handle it the way he did. I accept his apology.”
Esposito mum on new coach
The Tampa Bay Lightning will identify its new coach by Friday, general manager Phil Esposito says.
During his weekly radio show in Tampa, Esposito said he has made his choice, but declined to identify him because negotiations were ongoing.
Ex-Montreal coach Jacques Demers and Tampa Bay interim coach Rick Paterson are front-runners.
The Lightning have dropped five consecutive games under Paterson. Overall, Tampa Bay is winless (0-12-1) in its last 13 outings.
Old foes renew feud
Reserve goalie Craig Billington made 32 saves, and Rene Corbet and Eric Messier scored third-period goals as the Colorado Avalanche beat the Detroit Red Wings 2-0 Tuesday night in Detroit.
Colorado’s Claude Lemieux and Detroit’s Darren McCarty renewed an old feud just 3 seconds into the game.
Lemieux and McCarty dropped their gloves after the opening faceoff and fought for about a minute before wrestling each other to the ice. Each player was given a 5-minute penalty for fighting and a 10-minute misconduct.
Lemieux and McCarty have squared off before, with their most notable fight coming during a brawl-filled game between the Red Wings and Avalanche March 26 at Detroit.
That night, McCarty bloodied Lemieux in retaliation for a hit he put on Kris Draper during the 1996 playoffs that resulted in reconstructive facial surgery for the Detroit player.