Kings’ Jordan Nolan receives one-game suspension from NHL

CALGARY, Canada — Kings forward Jordan Nolan will miss Monday night’s game against the Flames because of a one-game suspension from the NHL for punching Edmonton Oilers left wing Jesse Joensuu.

The incident occurred near the end of the second period in the Kings’ 4-2 victory over the Oilers in Edmonton on Sunday night. Nolan had a telephone hearing this morning with the league’s department of player safety.

He will be eligible to return Thursday against the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs.

The NHL said he was suspended for “punching an unsuspecting opponent.”

Previously, Nolan has been fined by the league, once last season, but never suspended.

“I would say there’s no way it should be more than one game,” Kings Coach Darryl Sutter said before the suspension was handed down.

”...He’s one of the most physical players in the NHL and one of the lowest penalty guys. He’s not a guy with high penalty minutes when you look at it. He’s got like 40 minutes this year or whatever it is.”

Nolan, who has 52 penalty minutes in 54 games, has had a handful of games where he was a healthy scratch this season. In fact, he was a healthy scratch against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 1.

Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, he will forfeit $3,589.74 in salary.

Sutter, for his part, downplayed the whole matter.

“It’s not a chapter in the history of the road trip,” he said after Monday’s morning skate. “Not much to it.”

OK, then, maybe a footnote?