Chase, Peluso Draw 10-Game Suspensions

Kelly Chase of the St. Louis Blues and Mike Peluso of the Chicago Blackhawks received automatic 10-game suspensions from the NHL Thursday for leaving the bench to join a fight.

The suspensions will carry into the playoffs. The league also handed out $28,700 in fines and 22 games in suspensions to players from the teams as a result of two brawls in a game on March 17. St. Louis defenseman Scott Stevens was suspended for two games as a result of his altercation with Chicago’s Dave Manson. Blackhawk Coach Mike Keenan was fined $5,000, and his St. Louis counterpart, Brian Sutter, was fined $2,500. Keenan got the larger fine because he sent players onto the ice just before a brawl.

Each team was given automatic fines of $10,000 because Chase and Peluso left the bench to fight. Twelve players were automatically fined $100 each for receiving game misconduct penalties.