MOSCOW, December 10 (R-Sport) – Dynamo Minsk defenseman Jere Karalahti has been suspended for six games for a brutal hit that drew blood from his opponent, the KHL announced Monday.
The incident happened 25 minutes into Dynamo’s 7-2 trouncing of Barys Astana, when the 37-year-old Finn elbowed Kazakh forward Andrei Gavrilin in the head in the center of the rink.
A bloodied Gavrilin left the ice with the help of doctors and was later diagnosed with mild concussion.
The visitors were punished with a major penalty and disciplinary penalty in the game, while Karalahti received a maximum ban for the violation.
The veteran has already missed Sunday’s 2-1 home win over Dinamo Riga and will be able to return on the ice on January 8 for a road game at Lokomotiv Yaroslavl.
The former Los Angeles Kings defenseman is in his second season in Minsk and has notched up six points in 32 games this season.
Dynamo stands 10th in the West, five points short of the playoffs zone.
