Raffi Torres Hits Silfverberg High, Gets Suspended Forever

VIDEO

I saw this hit on Silfverberg (or however you spell it) on hockey Twitter the night it happened, way before the NHL handed down a suspension, and my first thought was, Torres is done. If you keep hitting people late and in the face, you're not going to last long in the new kid-gloves NHL, and Raffi Torres is the poster boy for illegal checks to the head.


 via ESPN -- Sharks forward Raffi Torres has received the longest suspension in NHL history for a hit on another player when the league banned him Monday for the first 41 games of the season for an illegal check to the head of Anaheim's Jakob Silfverberg.

Torres' latest infraction resulted from a hit in a preseason game Saturday. He was ejected with 7:15 left in the first period. Silfverberg did not return to the game either.

The NHL Department of Player Safety ruled that the hit was illegal because Silfverberg's head was the main point of contact. It was also deemed a late hit and would have been considered interference. Torres waived the right to an in-person hearing and has until Wednesday to decide if he wants to appeal the suspension.

This marks the fifth and most significant suspension for Torres in his career.

FORTY ONE GAMES??? Are you serious?? I thought I was reading an Onion article when I heard that number. It's like saying he was suspended for "a bazillion games," because nobody gets suspended for forty one games, right? I told my mom about this and she actually said "Wow, how many seasons is that?"

We're only talking half a season, but it is still a hilarious number. I don't know if it was all the coffee I drank that day or what, but when I was watching the Department of Player Safety's video about their decision, I was actually crying laughing from the 1:40 mark on (I recommend skipping to that part), just thinking about how ridiculous it is that Torres is still allowed to play in the league. He is definitely up there with Matt Cooke, Sean Avery and Sidney Crosby for "most universally hated player" in recent memory.

Regardless, I can't wait to see what the punishment is when Torres comes back and inevitably gets suspended for the 6th time. A whole year, perhaps? Shoot for the stars Raffi.