WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) Winnipeg defenseman Toby Enstrom will be out indefinitely with a concussion, Jets coach Paul Maurice said Friday.
Enstrom took a crushing illegal check from behind into the boards by Pittsburgh forward Tom Sestito in the first period Wednesday night in the Jets’ 7-4 loss to the Penguins. The NHL followed up Thursday by suspending Sestito for four games.
”There’s no equitable way to sort this out because you can’t measure what we lose,” Maurice said. ”The players suspended, they all have to be treated (the same) regardless of value to the game, so it is what it is.”
The 6-foot-5 Sestito had been called up Wednesday morning from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League to play in only his ninth game this season. Known more for his fists than his finesse, Sestito logged 1:02 of ice time and had 20 minutes of penalties before being ejected after hitting the 5-foot-10 Enstrom.
”I don’t really know what he was doing out there in the first place,” Jets captain Blake Wheeler said about Sestito. ”But I guess they made their point and we lose a guy for it. I think (the NHL) did a good job of coming down on him because that was a pretty bad hit.”
Forward Mathieu Perreault also questioned the Penguins’ call-up of Sestito.
”Not too sure what’s his role on this team, really,” Perreault said. ”They call him up for one game, so it’s not like he has a role. ”He comes out, maybe get a fight and do something stupid, I would say, hit a guy from behind. So, yeah, I don’t think there’s any room in this league for this kind of play anymore.”
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