Mark Bell to be Suspended by the NHL

Mark Bell, the Toronto Maple Leafs/ex-Sharks forward who is looking forward to jail time for a drunk driving incident, and a pending civil suit, has now been suspended by the NHL. The suspension will be indefinite, and without pay, until he completes Stage Two of the NHL/NHLPA's Substance Abuse Program.

In order to be reinstated, Bell will require the recommendation of program doctors along with the approval of both the National Hockey League and the NHLPA.

Sources say Bell's plea encouraged his placement into stage two as outlined by the substance abuse program even though more than a year has passed since the incident took place.

It's good to see the NHL take the extra step and suspend Bell like this. Even though Bell is going to serve some jail time after the season, he could easily relapse and have another episode if he doesn't take care of the addiction side of the equation. As we've seen with countless empty-headed celebrities, a little jail time does little to deter people from making bad choice.

While this suspension is good PR for the league, the real benefit will be to Mark Bell, should he recover from his problem and not choose to drive while intoxicated.

As for the Leafs, this trade continues to get worse and worse ...