The NHL was caught off guard by Charlie McAvoy's appeal of his four-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of Oliver Ekman Larsson, a surprising move for the league.
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reports that the NHL considered this a straightforward case and dealt with it accordingly.
"Much surprise on NHL side at the appeal. Felt this was a 'cut and dry' illegal check to head ruling,"
states Wyshynski.
McAvoy is seeking a reduction of at least one game in his suspension. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will have the final say, with all options on the table.
"Bettman could uphold the current suspension, reduce it or increase it,"
Wyshynski adds.
While it's unlikely that the suspension will be increased, McAvoy stands to recover a significant portion of his salary if even one game is knocked off his suspension, amounting to nearly $50,000 according to Capfriendly.