League Suspends Domi for Rest of the Playoffs

Toronto enforcer Tie Domi was suspended for the rest of the NHL playoffs Friday for knocking out Scott Niedermayer of the New Jersey Devils with an elbow to the face in the waning seconds of their playoff game the night before at Toronto.

If the Maple Leafs are eliminated from the playoffs by the Devils, Domi’s suspension will carry over to the first eight games of next season.

“Mr. Domi’s actions have no place in our game and are being punished accordingly,” Colin Campbell, the league’s director of hockey operations, said in statement. “He has forfeited the privilege of further participation in this year’s Stanley Cup playoffs.”

Campbell’s ruling came less than 24 hours after Domi knocked out Niedermayer with a vicious hit near the boards with less than 20 seconds left in the Maple Leafs’ 3-1 victory in Game 4.

Campbell met with Domi, Maple Leaf Coach Pat Quinn and team President Ken Dryden for about an hour in the league’s offices in Toronto and then issued his ruling about five hours later.

Niedermayer flew home with the Devils to New Jersey after the game and he was hospitalized overnight. He underwent a battery of tests Friday and was released. He will not play in Game 5 tonight, General Manager Lou Lamoriello said.

Before the meeting, a photographer was grabbed by the neck and shoved by Quinn while he was photographing Domi.

“I was walking backward shooting Tie Domi,” Toronto Sun photographer Stan Behal said. “I followed him going into the elevator. . . . Then, all of a sudden, there was a hand around my neck and I got shoved back. Quinn said, ‘Get out of my way.’ ”

An NHL spokesman said the league was looking into the matter.

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Craig Hartsburg, fired as the Mighty Duck coach in December, has been named coach and director of hockey operations of the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds of the Ontario Hockey League. Hartsburg, 41, was 80-88-29 in 2 1/2 seasons with the Ducks. He guided them to the Stanley Cup playoffs in 1998-99, when they were swept by Detroit in the first round. The Ducks failed to make the playoffs last season and were 11-15-4-3 when Hartsburg was fired Dec. 14.