NHL Suspends Sakic

April 21, 1998 / 11:11 PM EDT / CBS/AP

The Colorado Avalanche will be without their captain, Joe Sakic, for the opening game of their first-round playoff series with Edmonton after Sakic was assessed a one-game suspension by the NHL on Tuesday.

Sakic also was fined $1,000 the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement as a result of a kneeing incident against Detroit Red Wings forward Kris Draper on Saturday. At the time, Sakic was assessed a minor penalty for tripping.

"Although we accept Mr. Sakic's explanation that the hit was not intentional, players must be responsible for their actions," said Brian Burke, NHL senior vice president and director of hockey operations.

Draper suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee and is not expected to play in the first few games of the playoffs against Phoenix.

The suspension was handed down Tuesday afternoon after a hearing between Burke and Sakic via telephone earlier in the day.

"I'm pretty shocked and surprised," Sakic said of the suspension. "It's very disappointing. I'm real upset about the ruling."

Asked whether Burke made a distinction between the action being intentional or unintentional, Sakic said, "He said it didn't matter. It was a knee-on-knee. I was off-balance and he (Draper) kind of ran into me."

Sakic suffered a sprained MCL in his left knee in the Olympics, missing 18 games. It was his left knee that struck Draper.

"I definitely wasn't going to stick that knee out on purpose," Sakic said. "My knee was out there and he just skated into me. After seeing the play on tape, I knew it was a penalty that had to be called, but it was definitely unintentional."

Sakic, who has cultivated a reputation as a clean player in his 10-year NHL career, could not recall ever having been suspended at any level of hockey.

Asked if a player's reputation should be a factor in whether a player faces disciplinary action, Sakic said, "You would think so, but obviously in this case it didn't happen. I didn't expect a game (suspension). I thought maybe a fine or something."

Asked whether the severity of Draper's injury contributed to the league's decision, Sakic said, "I can't say. I really don't know."

Privately, Avalanche officials were seething about the Sakic ruling, especially after Burke ruled on Monday that Detroit's Martin Lapointe will not face a hearing for a similar kneeing infraction against Colorado's Peter Forsberg. Forsberg missed about three minutes of playing time but suffered no lingering effects.

"It was clearly apparent during the hearing that the collision was purely accidental," Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix said. "Our captain tried to avoid his opponent but lost his balance, creating the collision.

"We've been through adversity before. There is nothinwe can add. We will abide by the decision the league has made and just move on."