Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron is appealing his six-game suspension, the NHL Players Association announced on Tuesday night.
Perron was suspended by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Monday for delivering a cross-check to the head of Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub in a game played Saturday.
Since the suspension was six or more games, Perron will first appeal to NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and then, if necessary, appeal again to a neutral arbitrator. The veteran has seven goals and six assists for the Red Wings in 26 games this season.
Perron's cross-check to Zub was made in retaliation after Detroit captain Dylan Larkin was left motionless on the ice due to a pair of hits by Senators players Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly, who received minor penalties for roughing. Perron was given a match penalty at 13:50 of the first period. He was offered an in-person hearing by the player safety department on Monday and opted to hold it over Zoom instead.
The NHL ruled that Perron's cross-check wasn't "a hockey play" but rather an "intentional strike with the stick made with the purpose of exacting retribution on an opponent." Perron took several strides toward Zub before delivering the cross-check.
Zub remained in the game and ended up playing 22:31 for Ottawa.
Larkin was placed on injured reserve on Monday with "no timetable" for his return, according to Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde. Larkin was tied for the team lead in points at the time of his injury.
Perron's agent Allan Walsh called the suspension "a farce" and the Department of Player Safety a "Kangaroo Court." He cited Perron's 1,081 career NHL games without a previous suspension and the fact that Zub remained in the game as counter-arguments to the suspension.
Lalonde said someone pointed out to him a two-game suspension Toronto's Auston Matthews received for a high, forceful cross-check in a game against Buffalo two seasons ago. That was the first career fine or suspension for Matthews.
"Pretty similar for four games' difference in those two (suspensions)," Lalonde said. "David's had a clean sheet for 1,100 games. ... I know he was pretty disappointed, but you've got to trust the process and we'll see where it goes."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.