Bans for Zubarev, Lyubushkin, Akolzin
Friday's big day of hockey, with no fewer than 8 games played in the Championship, inevitably featured some controversial incidents, with the result that the KHL Discipinary Committee was called into action on Saturday afternoon.
Barys Astana – Sibir Novosibirsk
Game time – 26.40
The Committee supported the referee's decision to hand Barys forward Pavel Akolzin a major plus game misconduct penalty (5+20 minutes) for causing injury by checking to the head or neck area, and ruled that the foul merited additional disciplinary measures: a fine and a one-game suspension.
Lokomotiv Yaroslavl – Traktor Chelyabinsk
Game time – 34.42
The Committee also upheld the match officials' decision to send Lokomotiv defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin to the locker room after judging him guilty of injuring an opponent by illegal use of the knee. As a result, the major plus game misconduct penalty (5+20 minutes) remains in force, and Lyubushkin was fined and disqualified for two games.
SKA Saint Petersburg – Metallurg Magnitogorsk
Game time – 39.17
Finally, the Committee reviewed the major plus game misconduct penalty (5+20 minutes) handed to SKA defenseman Andrei Zubarev for causing injury by interference, and once again, the referee's verdict was found to have been correct. Consequently, Zubarev was fined and given a two-game suspension.
