Flyers' Shelley suspended 10 games

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Ten games.

Thats the suspension handed down on Thursday night to Flyers enforcer Jody Shelley for his boarding hit on Torontos Darryl Boyce in Wednesdays 4-2 exhibition loss.

He will miss the final five games of preseason, plus five to start the regular season.

I wasnt expecting that many, Im still a little shocked, Shelley said.

The verdict seems to establish a tougher standard of justice under the new head shot rules in the NHL as enforced by newlyappointed NHL Czar of Discipline, Brendan Shanahan.

Shanahan had a video on NHL.com explaining the Shelley decision and the factors that weighed against the Flyers' forward in determining the number of games he would miss.

Shelley hit Boyce squarely from behind into the glass, Shanahan said in a statement. Boyces back was turned toward Shelley well before the contact, requiring that Shelley avoid or minimize the check. He did neither. Shelleys two suspensions last season weighed heavily in this decision.

This suspension was among Shannys first order of business on the new job and its apparent he is going to send a message across the league. His former predecessor, Colin Campbell, often sent contradictory messages with forms of punishment that didnt seem to add up across the board.

This summer, Shanahan told Yahoo! Sports Nick Cotsonika, If I want to establish any tone early, I hope to establish fairness, transparency.

Its also plainly obvious that Shelleys past record as a repeat offender factored into the excessive number of games.

Thats what I heard, Shelley said, admitting he only spoke to Shanahan on the phone during the hearing, and not as the sentencing.

This is a huge setback for Shelleys training camp, as well.

This is now a different camp for me, Shelley said. Ive lost a few preseason games, which you train all summer for. I want to get in there and play games. Theres still ways for me to stay sharp.

He said he wasnt worried about losing his roster spot. The only other heavyweight who could push him out is Tommy Sestito.

Zac Rinaldo, who is also vying for a roster spot, is an agitatornot an enforcer.

Shelley, who is not regarded around the NHL as a dirty player in the Matt Cooke category, said this morning at Skate Zone that he doesnt like being labeled such by fans.

I dont like dirty hockey, he said.

Earlier in the afternoon, Shanahan suspended Calgarys Pierre-Luc Letourneau-Leblond for four preseason games and one regular season game for his actions in a game on Tuesday against Vancouver when he boarded Matt Clackson from behind.

That verdict was also delivered with a video showing the play, as Shanahan narrated what happened, then quoted the rulebook and why he rendered his verdict as such.

This is truly the new NHL rules of discipline under Shanahan. No other sport is delivering messages to the players and public via the Internet on video.

At the morning skate, Shelley was sitting at his dressing room stall at Skate Zone, looking nervous as Danny Briere approached.

You should send Brendan Shanahan an edible arrangement of chocolate strawberries, Briere said, inflicting some gallows humor.

Shelley looked up.

Does that work for you Danny? he asked.

Shelley drew a deserved five-minute major and was tossed from the game for his hit on Boyce.

If I were the disciplinarian that would work for me, Briere said of his strawberry bribe.

Kidding aside, Shelley said he understood this was serious.

As he later found out.

He will forfeit 73,170.73 of his 1.2 million salary.

This morning, coach Peter Laviolette said that he would not speculate on what he might have to do to his roster if Shelley is suspended.

Obviously, Sesisto could fill Shelleys spot.

Were going to look at these guys anyway, Laviolette said of other prospects, adding many of the Flyer veterans would stay behind for this game, while many of the prospects and Phantoms would make the trip to Canada.

E-mail Tim Panaccio at tpanotch@comcast.net

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