Pronger Suspended for Game Four Against Detroit

Less than an hour ago, the NHL announced that Anaheim Ducks defenseman Chris Pronger will be suspended for Game Four of the Western Conference Finals tomorrow night against the Red Wings, one day after delivering a vicious hit to the back of the head of Detroit forward Tomas Holmstrom.

For those of you who didn't see the hit, one ironically which resulted in teammate Rob Niedermayer being penalized, here's the Versus footage from YouTube:

If you have the time, be sure to also take a look at the footage that was shot from the stands by a Ducks fan at the arena. Some of the commentary caught on the audio track is priceless, if you know what I mean.

Despite the severity of the hit, Holmstrom, like a true playoff warrior, went to the dressing room, collected himself, and returned to finish the game with his Detroit teammates.

In a way, this incident is perfectly symbolic of the way the series has developed. In a very literal sense, the Ducks have delivered their best punch to Detroit's jaw, but the Red Wings, though they might get knocked down, get off the canvas and keep fighting.

As for Pronger, this sort of hit is simply standard operating procedure for him. Whenever you hear critics of the game refer to a hit as being disrespectful of the game, or disrespectful of an opponent, this is exactly the kind of hit that they're talking about. And it's just the kind of hit that the toughest guy on the ice dishes out because he knows that nobody wearing the other team's uniform can do anything about it.

UPDATE: For an excellent dissection of the NHL disciplinary process, check out this post from Matt Fenwick from Battle of Alberta. Thanks to my Fanhouse colleague, J.D. Press, for the pointer.