An early Twitter post from a Carolina correspondent said that Tuomo Ruutu has been suspended three games for his hit from behind on Avalanche forward, Darcy Tucker. This has yet to be confirmed elsewhere, but I'm fairly confident that it sounds about right. The punishment surely fits the crime in this case, as Tucker had to be carried off the ice on a stretcher and has reportedly suffered a concussion because of the hit as well.
Ruutu's sentence will now keep him off the scoresheet, which he has done a pretty good job of being on for the better part of the start of the season. In the first nine games of the season, Ruutu has scored two goals and four assists. Ruutu is also a tenacious checker for the Hurricanes on their third line, so there could be a big hole in the defensive end, so it could be a long three games without him.
The suspension does affect one team in the Draft, as 2nd place Wes, had picked Ruutu in the 11th round (186th overall) and missing a player for three games in the money spots, may hurt his short-term goals of staying in the money, but the overall picture isn't too bad. Especially for a player who isn't a point-per-game player. On the Sheet, Ruutu is rated pretty high in the 3rd box of the Eastern Conference forwards, in Box 19, but wasn't taken in the Sheet pool, as of yet.
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