Zurich, Switzerland – The International Ice Hockey Federation extended Swedish defenseman Alexander Edler's two-game suspension an additional two contests Tuesday, stemming from an incident in the World Championship.
Edler, who plays with the NHL's Vancouver Canucks, received a major for kneeing and a game misconduct for delivering a deliberate hit to Canada's Eric Staal during a May 16 quarterfinal. He was suspended for the remaining two contests of the tournament.
But after a hearing at IIHF headquarters last week, the federation decided to extend the penalty an additional two games, both of which are set to occur next February at the Winter Olympics in Sochi.
Sweden will open up Olympic play against the Czech Republic on Feb. 12 and then takes on Switzerland two days later.
Staal suffered a third-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee and, though surgery was not required, the injury was set to take three months to fully heal.
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