Tyler Myers gets 3-game suspension for lifting off into Dainius Zubrus’s head (Video)

Greg Wyshynski

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Tyler Myers has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Dainius Zubrus on Saturday night, after getting a minor penalty for the infraction during the game.

Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and based on his average annual salary, Myers will forfeit $84,615.39. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund. He was previously suspended for three games in March 2012 for a boarding penalty on Scott Gomez.

Here are the dulcet tones of Patrick Burke as he describes the suspension for the Department of Player Safety:

It’s a fairly blatant leap to the noggin by Myers, which isn’t easy for him even if Zubrus is listed at 6-foot-5. The lack of injury at the time of the ruling might have put this one at two games – see David Clarkson and Michael Grabner getting a pair for checks to the head earlier this season.

But Myers’ squarely hitting Zubrus in the head, plus the “repeat offender” status in the eyes of the NHL (but not financially) probably got this up to three games, where four other suspensions for illegal checks to the head have fallen (Brad Stuart, Alex Edler, Dale Weise and Adam Erne.)

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