Bussieres Suspended

The Baie-Comeau Drakkar are already off to a rough start in their second round series against the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced today that Drakkar forward Raphael Bussieres has been suspended an additional two games for a hit that took place on March 27 in Game 3 of their series against the Victoriaville Tigres. Bussieres was suspended "until further notice" soon after and missed Game 4, a game that clinched Baie-Comeau a stunning series sweep of the Tigres.

Here’s the hit, courtesy of HockeyProspects.com.

The rationale for the suspension, as per the QMJHLwebsite:

The opponent:
Coming out of his zone and skating toward centre ice.
Passed the puck to a teammate next to the boards.
Was injured on the play. 

The player at fault:
Pivoted, took a stride toward his opponent and hit him on the head while he was in a vulnerable position.
Simultaneously hit the player’s body and head.
Propelled himself upward on the impact.

Bussieres finished fourth in Drakkar scoring in the regular season, recording 21 goals and 23 assists in 56 games. The Drakkar will miss him when the series begins next Friday night at Harbour Station.