Updated: Kyle Clifford suspended one game for the hit on Ross Colton

Player safety can still give a suspension from a phone interview, but it is limited to five games or less.

Kyle Clifford has been suspended one game for his hit from behind on Ross Colton early in Game 1 of the series. He will miss Wednesday’s game in Toronto, likely returning on Friday for Game 3 in Tampa Bay.

Original post:

At the time of the hit, Clifford received a five-minute penalty for boarding and a game misconduct. In general, the game misconduct carries some weight in a hearing as a kind of “time served”. The option is open for the Department of Player Safety to levy a fine, a suspension or take no further action.

There is nothing forcing player safety to count playoff suspensions as more punitive, but it seems like they sometimes do that.

The Maple Leafs have a long list of potential players to take Clifford’s fourth-line spot, and if Michael Bunting is healthy enough to play on Wednesday, that’s the answer as to who comes in.

Edited to add the fines from last night’s game as well:

Reminder: fines are based on a players’ salary amount and are not set by the offence committed.