St. Louis Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo has been suspended four games for his cross-check of Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson.
The Predators announced that Arvidsson will miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury as a result of the hit in the first period of Saturday night's game. The 26-year-old Arvidsson was initially cross-checked into the Blues' net by Bortuzzo, earning him a minor penalty.
Bortuzzo turned to the official to express his outrage, then put his hands back on his stick and forcefully cross-checked Arvidsson in an unpadded area of his lower back. The NHL announced after the game that Bortuzzo would get a phone hearing.
According to the Department of Player Safety, the act alone would typically lead to only a fine, rather than a suspension. That was the case in October 2017, when Bortuzzo was fined the maximum allowed ($3,091.40) under the Collective Bargaining Agreement for cross-checking New York Islanders forward Brock Nelson while Nelson was down on the ice -- a "very similar play" to the Arvidsson incident, although at the time, "he didn't have the history," according to Player Safety.
But this time, Bortuzzo was a repeat offender, having been suspended three games (two preseason games, one regular-season game) for elbowing Michal Kempny of the Washington Capitals in September 2018. That, combined with the injury to Arvidsson and a history of similar acts, raised this incident to the level of a four-game suspension rather than a fine.
"This is a forceful crosscheck, delivered well away from the puck, on a vulnerable opponent, and for no other reason but frustration," the NHL said in a video announcing the suspension.
Arvidsson, who skated in his 300th career game, had an assist to help the Predators snap a six-game losing streak. Arvidsson has 15 points in 22 games after scoring 34 goals last season.
The 30-year-old Bortuzzo is in his sixth season with St. Louis. Bortuzzo is considered a repeat offender under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, will forfeit $67,073.16. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.