Hunter Suspended Indefinitely After Late Hit Sidelines Turgeon

Dale Hunter of the Washington Capitals was suspended indefinitely by the NHL on Thursday for “unsportsmanlike and excessive conduct” in Wednesday night’s playoff game against the New York Islanders.

“We want to send a clear message that the National Hockey League will not tolerate such actions,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

Hunter rammed an unsuspecting Pierre Turgeon into the boards with his stick during the third period. He was assessed a major penalty for checking from behind and a game misconduct.

The incident came after Turgeon scored the Islanders’ fifth goal in a 5-3 victory that ended the first-round series. Turgeon suffered an injured shoulder and a concussion.

The Islanders said Thursday that Turgeon has a “moderate separation” of the right shoulder and will be sidelined during the Patrick Division final series against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Because the Capitals are out of the playoffs, Hunter’s suspension will go into effect next season.

The length of the suspension--without pay and for regular-season games--will be announced before the end of next week.

Said Islander General Manager Don Maloney, who had previously called for a one-year suspension of Hunter: “We think (Bettman) understands the gravity of the situation. One year’s suspension may be justified or it may not. I’ll leave it up to Gary to decide what action has to be taken. It’s still too premature to judge the situation.”

The Capitals were unavailable for immediate comment.