Stiffer Penalties for Salei, Trepanier May Come Today

Coach Ken Hitchcock of the Dallas Stars will get some justice but perhaps not all he has been seeking in the wake of tough hits by the Ducks on two of his best players Saturday.

Defensemen Ruslan Salei and Pascal Trepanier will be in New York today to tell their side of the story to NHL officials. Regardless of the outcome of the hearing, neither will play tonight against the Phoenix Coyotes.

Both players could be suspended for several additional games, including Friday’s rematch against the Stars at the Arrowhead Pond.

Salei sent Mike Modano crashing headfirst into the boards with a second-period shove that resulted in a concussion, a broken nose and a sprained neck for the Dallas center.

Later, Trepanier slammed Dallas center Joe Nieuwendyk into the glass with a check from behind. Nieuwendyk was uninjured.

Duck tough guy Jim McKenzie, who broke defenseman Darryl Sydor’s left eye socket in a fight after the hit on Nieuwendyk, was not summoned to New York and is not expected to be suspended.

In Dallas on Monday, Hitchcock continued his call for stiff penalties to Salei and Trepanier. Duck Coach Craig Hartsburg repeated his defense of his players, saying neither intended to cause an injury.

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Left wing Paul Kariya and defenseman Kevin Haller will make their season debuts tonight against the Coyotes. Kariya, sidelined because of a sore left hip, and Haller, recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery, sat out the Ducks’ 2-0 loss at Dallas.

Kariya will join center Matt Cullen and right wing Teemu Selanne on the top line. Haller will take Salei’s spot and play with Oleg Tverdovsky.

TONIGHT

at Phoenix

7:30, Fox Sports West 2, ESPN2

* Site--America West Arena.

* Radio--XTRA (690).

* Records--Ducks 0-1, Coyotes 1-0.

* Record vs. Coyotes (1998-99)--3-1-2.

* Update--Duck enforcer Stu Grimson, sidelined for the Dallas game because of a strained neck, could be fit to play tonight. Hartsburg will make a decision on Grimson’s availability after the morning skate. Phoenix goalie Mikhail Shtalenkov, who is 3-1 with a 2.58 goals-against average against his former team, is expected to start tonight.