Here’s Why Devils Paul Cotter is Suspended for Remainder of Regular Season

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety has suspended New Jersey Devils forward Paul Cotter for two games following an illegal check to New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech.

RELATED: Devils Paul Cotter Faces Possible Suspension; Islanders ‘Pissed Off’

The two-game suspension ends Cotter’s regular season.

Here’s the NHL DoPS’s thorough reasoning:

“On Sunday afternoon in New Jersey, Devils forward Paul Cotter was assessed a match penalty for delivering an illegal check to the head of Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech. As the video shows, the puck is played out of the Devils’ zone in an attempted pass to Cotter, with Pelech positioned by the red line. The puck comes to Pelech, who makes a one touch play to dump it back into the zone. After Pelech plays the puck, Cotter leans into a high, hard check that cuts across the front of Pelech’s body, missing his core and picking his head, making it the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable. This is an illegal check to the head.

“It is important to note that both elements of the illegal check to the head rule are satisfied on this play. First, the head is the main point of contact, as Cotter’s shoulder makes direct contact with Pelech’s head, and it is the head that absorbs the majority of the force. Second, the head contact on this hit is avoidable. Cotter takes a poor angle of approach, choosing an angle that causes him to cut across the front of Pelech’s body, missing his core. Cotter then raises his left leg and leans into the contact, causing his shoulder to make direct contact with Pelech’s head with requisite force for supplemental discipline. If Cotter wants to deliver this check, he must take an angle that hits through the shoulder and core, rather than one that makes the head the main point of contact.

“To summarize, this is an illegal check to the head. Cotter has been neither fined nor suspended previously in his 217-game NHL career. The Department of Player Safety has suspended Paul Cotter for two games.”

Cotter’s season ends at 79 games, scoring 16 goals and 6 assists. He is, and will end the 2024-25 regular season as the Devils’ hits leader with 245.

Cotter is eligible to return for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs when the Devils face the Carolina Hurricanes.

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