Islanders' Gillies suspended 10 games

For the second time in less than a month, the NHL has come down hard on Islanders enforcer Trevor Gillies, handing him a 10-game suspension Friday for his hit on the Minnesota Wild's Cal Clutterbuck.

The ban was handed down after Gillies' noon hearing with league disciplinarian Colin Campbell in Toronto.

Gillies' hit Wednesday on Clutterbuck, which earned him a checking-from-behind major penalty and game misconduct, came during his first game back after a nine-game suspension for his elbowing major on the Penguins' Eric Tangradi Feb. 11.

"By targeting his opponent's head, three shifts into his first game back from a suspension for a very similar action, Mr. Gillies has forfeited his privilege of playing in the league," Campbell said in a statement. "While it is fortunate that there was no injury on the play, there can be no justification for a player delivering a dangerous check to an opponent in this manner."

No Islanders representatives accompanied Gillies to the proceedings, which is believed to be unprecedented in a hearing of this magnitude.

General manager Garth Snow stayed behind for team photo day but was telephone-conferenced in for the hearing along with Gillies' agent, Peter Cooney, whose travel plans prevented him from being there. Gillies attended with members of the NHLPA instead.

The 32-year-old forfeited roughly $24,000 in last month's suspension and will lose significantly more this time - $60,975.60 - because he is a repeat offender. First-time offenders pay with relation to the amount of days in a season (186); repeat offenders pay by the number of games (82).

After Wednesday's game - a 4-1 Islanders win - Gillies and coach Jack Capuano defended the hit, saying Clutterbuck's back wasn't fully turned.

But the league deemed the shot the type of hit it is trying to eliminate from the game - one in which the head is the primary point of contact or intended target.

Gillies said there was "no intent to injure him at all" and that he was trying to finish his hit on Clutterbuck, who boarded the Islanders' Justin DiBenedetto moments before.

Clutterbuck disagreed with Gillies' defense, telling the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that it was a "big joke."

Said Clutterbuck, "There's no way that guy should be in the National Hockey League."

For as much criticism as he has endured, Gillies is beloved inside the Islanders' dressing room. "He's a family member of ours,'' Zenon Konopka said, "and we are going to back him 100 percent through this situation."

Gillies, who has one goal and 124 penalty minutes in 33 games this season, will be eligible to return to the lineup March 26 when the Islanders host the Philadelphia Flyers.

With Evan Korn