Toronto, ON – The National Hockey League Players' Association has decided to appeal the 25-game suspension handed down to Phoenix Coyotes forward Raffi Torres.
TSN of Canada reported on Thursday that the basis of the appeal is for the length of the ban, and not the actual suspension.
Torres was handed the stiff penalty by NHL vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan on April 21, four days after his late, hard hit on Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa in the first period Game 3 of that Western Conference quarterfinal, eventually won by the Coyotes.
Hossa was lost for the remainder of the series due to the collision.
"My main concern is for the healthy recovery of Marian Hossa, and I hope that he will be able to get back on the ice to compete again soon. I sincerely regret injuring Marian," Torres said in a statement on the same day the suspension was announced. "Regarding the severity of the suspension issued, I will take the next few days to decide whether or not to appeal the decision."
Torres' 25-gamer was the longest since Chris Simon, then of the New York Rangers, drew a 30-game ban for stomping on the ankle of Pittsburgh's Jarkko Ruutu in December of 2007.
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