Clearly contrite while pleading guilty, Scott Niedermayer awaits the worst today, at the worst possible time for the Devils.
The Devils’ top-scoring defenseman expects, almost assuredly correctly, that he will be suspended after today’s noon hearing in New York for whacking Peter Worrell on the helmet with his stick late in Sunday’s 5-2 victory over the Panthers.
As the NHL seeks to appear less tolerant of stickwork in the wake of Marty McSorley’s clouting of Donald Brashear, Niedermayer can figure on sitting out at least five games, starting tonight when the Hurricanes visit the Meadowlands. A suspension through the end of the regular season, which would total nine games, is not unimaginable as the NHL charts new waters.
“I deserve something, no doubt,” Niedermayer said yesterday. “It was a stupid play. I deserve to be suspended.”
The eight-year vet will fall into the first-offender category, and NHL VP Colin Campbell should consider Niedermayer’s past and reputation in meting out punishment.
Niedermayer swung his stick at the crown of Worrell’s helmet with 1:45 remaining after absorbing a nightful of elbows from the 6-6 Panther enforcer.
“It’s ugly,” Niedermayer said. “It’s not the right thing to do. It’s a mistake, but I can’t go and take it back.”
The 26-year-old, who always seems to work himself into trouble when he plays against the Panthers and brother Rob, had only 36 penalty minutes in 70 games before Sunday, when he was assessed a total of 12, including a match penalty for attempt to injure.
Niedermayer said he would consider apologizing to Worrell, who left the ice giving the throat-slash gesture to the Devil bench at least three times.
“I don’t think I really even hurt him,” Niedermayer said. “I guess I would apologize if he thinks he needs one. But there’s going to be a lot of apologizing going on.”
Niedermayer clarified conflicting reports of his initial sentiments yesterday, insisting, “No, that wasn’t the right thing to do. Obviously, that’s what I did, so I felt it was at the time, and I can’t say I didn’t.”
With Niedermayer almost certain to sit out tonight, the Devils will be scrambling on defense. Rookie of the Year candidate Brian Rafalski is expected to miss his second straight game with bruised ribs, while Vladimir Malakhov did not practice yesterday after leaving Sunday’s game with back spasms. Ken Daneyko skipped practice with the flu, and Colin White, who nearly had his head removed by Worrell, also missed practice.
Lou Lamoriello is expected to accompany Niedermayer to today’s hearing, and the Players Association’s Ian Pulver is also expected to be on hand as an observer. Usually, situations that merit suspensions of 1-2 games are handled via conference calls, with formal hearings reserved for situations that may result in lengthy suspensions.
“Any time you have a hearing, you certainly feel it’s something more than just an inquiry. But I’ve also been at hearings where, after all the facts are shown, there hasn’t been a suspension,” Lamoriello said.
The Devil GM is likely to ask Campbell not to view this situation with any coloring from McSorley’s incident, or use that as precedent.
“I have all the confidence that it will be treated as an isolated incident, and it should be,” Lamoriello said.
Strips of eight playoff game tickets go on sale today at the Meadowlands box office and TicketMaster outlets.
