<
>

Cross-check earns Sharks' Evander Kane 1-game suspension

San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane received a one-game suspension for cross-checking Vegas forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare on Thursday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals.

Kane struck Bellemare in the arm and then the head after a whistle late in the third period of the Golden Knights' 7-0 win. He was given a five-minute major and a game misconduct.

"Players frequently use their sticks to establish positioning or attempt to move an opponent away from the net. This was not such a play," the NHL said in a video. "This cross-check occurs well after the whistle was blown and serves no purpose other than as a strike to an opponent's head. This is not a hockey play."

Game 2 will be played Saturday.