May Suspended 20 Games for Stick Incident

Phoenix Coyote left wing Brad May was suspended for 20 games by the NHL on Wednesday for a slash to the head of Columbus forward Steve Heinze.

The suspension matches the fourth-longest in NHL history for an on-ice violation and will cost May almost $120,000 in salary.

Heinze needed nine stitches on his nose but was not seriously hurt. May received a match penalty for attempt to injure in the Saturday night game and has sat out the two games since the infraction.

May met with Colin Campbell, the league’s director of operations, in Toronto on Tuesday.

“I have to be held accountable,” he said before his hearing with Campbell. “I’ve never gone after anybody like that before in my career.”

May told the Arizona Republic: “Honestly, I just wanted to tap him on the arm.”

He apologized to Heinze after the game. Heinze said he accepted the apology.

“It is fortunate Mr. Heinze did not suffer a more serious injury,” Campbell said. “The message to all players in the NHL should be clear: The act of a player striking an opponent in the head with his stick will carry severe consequences.”

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The Boston Bruins obtained Bill Guerin, the NHL’s third-leading goal scorer and sent holdout Anson Carter to the Edmonton Oilers in a trade of right wings.

The Oilers also received Boston’s second-round draft pick in 2001, a choice of switching first-rounders with the Bruins in 2001 or 2002 and future considerations.

Without Carter, who had 22 goals in 59 games last season, the Bruins are 6-8-2-1 with only 42 goals in 17 games this season. Guerin, who played at Boston College, was tied for fourth in the NHL with 22 points and had 12 goals going into games Wednesday, when the Oilers were idle.

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Paying Dearly

The longest suspensions for violent acts in the NHL:

* 1 year--Marty McSorley, Boston, February, for knocking out Vancouver’s Donald Brashear with a stick-swinging hit. On Nov. 7, the suspension was extended by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to Feb. 20, 2001.

* 23 games--Gordie Dwyer, Tampa Bay, Sept. 19, for abusing officials and coming out of the penalty box to fight in an exhibition game.

* 21 games--Dale Hunter, Washington, May 1993, for a blindside check of Pierre Turgeon of the New York Islanders after a goal in a playoff game.

* 20 games--Tom Lysiak, Chicago, October 1983, for intentionally tripping a linesman.

* 20 games--Brad May, Phoenix, Nov. 15, for hitting Columbus Blue Jacket Steve Heinze on the nose with his stick in a game Nov. 11.

* 16 games--Eddie Shore, Boston, 1933, for hitting Toronto’s Ace Bailey over the head with his stick.

* 15 games--Maurice Richard, Montreal, March 1955, for leveling linesman Cliff Thompson during a scuffle with Boston’s Hal Laycoe.

* 15 games--Wilf Paiement, Colorado Rockies, October 1978, for swinging his stick and hitting Detroit’s Dennis Polonich in the face.

* 15 games--Dave Brown, Philadelphia, November 1987, for cross-checking Tomas Sandstrom of the N.Y. Rangers across the face and breaking his jaw.

* 15 games--Tony Granato, Los Angeles, February 1994, for slashing Chicago’s Neil Wilkinson.