Boston’s Thornton suspended for attack

The NHL suspended Boston Bruins forward Shawn Thornton for 15 games without pay on Saturday for punching and injuring unsuspecting Pittsburgh defenseman Brooks Orpik.

“It says volumes about getting that kind of play out of the game,” Penguins Coach Dan Bylsma said. “I think it’s a pretty strong message.”

Thornton went after Orpik during a stoppage in play Dec. 7, slew-footing him to the ice and punching him twice. Orpik sustained a concussion and was taken off the ice on a stretcher. Earlier, Orpik hit Boston’s Loui Eriksson, knocking him out of the game with a concussion. Thornton was assessed a match penalty. Orpik hasn’t played since the game.

“This cannot be described as a hockey play that went bad, or do we consider this a spontaneous reaction to an incident that just occurred,” Brendan Shanahan, NHL vice president of player safety, said in the video announcing the suspension. “It is our view that this was an act of retribution for an incident that occurred earlier in the game, the result of this action by Thornton was a serious injury to Orpik.”

The suspension will cost Thornton $84,615. He served three games of the ban before the length of the suspension was determined.

“I will be consulting with the Bruins,” Thornton said in a statement. “Until then I will have no further comment.”

AP