St. Louis Blues’ Robert Bortuzzo suspended 4 games for cross-checking

Robert Bortuzzo of the St. Louis Blues had a hearing on Sunday for his pair of cross checks against Nashville Predators’ Viktor Arvidsson.

St. Louis Blues’ defenseman Robert Bortuzzo will miss four games after being suspended by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for cross-checking on Sunday. Bortuzzo will be back for the Blues’ game against the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 2 and will miss contests against the Predators, Lightning, Stars and Penguins.

In the first period of the Blues’ game against the Nashville Predators on Saturday, Bortuzzo came down on Viktor Arvidsson twice with his stick in a clear example of cross-checking. Bortuzzo’s first cross-check sent Arvidsson crashing into the net, while the second came as Arvidsson was attempting to get up from the first hit.

Arvidsson was injured on the play and did not return to the game in the Predators’ 4-2 victory in St. Louis. The Predators announced on Sunday that Arvidsson will miss four to six weeks due to the cross checking incident in the first period.

Bortuzzo was assessed a cross-checking minor for the play and was scheduled for a hearing with the Department of Player Safety on Sunday after the game. The Department of Player Safety’s explanation for Bortuzzo’s suspension mentions that Arvidsson was in a “vulnerable” position on the second cross-check, resulting in Arvidsson’s injury and Bortuzzo’s suspension.

"Bortuzzo was correctly assessed a minor penalty for the original cross check on Arvidsson. Players often battle for position in front of the net, and it is not uncommon for a player to use his stick to attempt to move offensive players away from the net… Bortuzzo’s second cross check, however, is not a hockey play."

Bortuzzo has a history of cross-checks that have crossed the line against opponents during his NHL career. The 30-year-old defenseman also has a history of suspensions in the NHL and classifies as a “repeat offender,” as Bortuzzo was suspended three games — two of them preseason games — for elbowing in September 2018.