Bettman Backs Daigneault Decision With a Nine-Page Position Paper

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman issued a nine-page opinion Thursday in support of his decision to uphold Mighty Duck defenseman J.J. Daigneault’s 10-game suspension for “abuse of official.”

Bettman called the decision “difficult” but sided strongly with referee Don Koharski, saying he would not overrule an official unless there was “clear and convincing evidence he was wrong and the call could not reasonably have been made.”

Bettman said he rejected the appeal because Daigneault couldn’t prove he didn’t deliberately swing his stick or failed to realize it was referee Koharski he had bumped.

Daigneault said he read “about half” of Bettman’s lengthy opinion.

“I didn’t think much of it,” Daigneault said. “It’s time for me to put this whole thing behind me.”