NHL suspends Sabres’ Kaleta five games, sets draft lottery format

NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan has been busy lately. On Monday he suspended Buffalo Sabres forward Patrick Kaleta for five games without pay for a dangerous boarding infraction Kaleta committed against Brad Richards of the New York Rangers on Sunday night.

Kaleta, who has been suspended twice before, is considered a repeat offender and so will lose $76,219.25 to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund. Here’s the video, in which Shanahan says that although Kaleta didn’t push Richards with excessive force, “he does so at an extremely dangerous distance from the boards.” Kaleta was given a major penalty and game misconduct after the play.

Earlier Sunday, Shanahan had suspended Philadelphia Flyers forward Harry Zolnierczyk for a nasty hit to the head of Ottawa Senators defenseman Mike Lundin.

More news on the NHL front: The league announced that the draft lottery will be held on April 29 and, for the first time, will give all 14 non-playoff teams (or teams that have acquired the first-round pick of non-playoff teams) a chance to win the first overall pick.

Under the previous lottery system, only the five teams with the fewest points could pick No. 1 overall, and no team was allowed to move up more than four spots. The draft will be held June 30 at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Here’s the full explanation of the lottery format, with teams’ odds of getting that prized No. 1 pick.

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