North Bay captain Liam Arnsby, and Mississauga Steelheads defenceman Stevie Leskovar have both been handed lengthy suspensions by the OHL.
The OHL's lengthy playoff suspensions have begun, and Liam Arnsby & Stevie Leskovar are the first to face the consequences. Both Arnsby's and Leskovar's teams are up in their respective matchups, but losing both of these players will be detrimental for both teams.
Liam Arnsby — captain of the North Bay Battalion — has been suspended for six games by the OHL. This is a result of actions that took place on April 3rd versus Kingston.
The reasoning for this suspension is suspected to be due to Arnsby's head check on Kingston forward Linus Hemstrom. Arnsby was thrown out of the game due to the hit in-game.
Arnsby came from across the ice to stop Hemstrom's chance in the slot, but he got his elbow and arms up high — targeting the head. Hemstrom was down on the ice for a while and eventually had to be taken off in a stretcher.
For Mississauga Steelheads defenceman Stevie Leskovar, he has been suspended for four games. Leskovar was also thrown out of the game and given a five minute major.
Leskovar "slashed" Evan Konyen in the face on a play that initially looked pretty innocent. He joined the battle in the faceoff dot for the puck, but as he was getting up he struck Konyen in the face with his stick.
Konyen eventually returned, but a slash to the face is not usually something that goes undisciplined.
The Steelheads will be without Leskovar's toughness and defensive abilities for four games. Mississauga faces elimination on Friday night at home, as the Wolves lead the series 3-1.