From the Boston Herald’s Rich Thompson:
David Backes accepted his three-game suspension that was handed down on Wednesday by the NHL with a touch of remorse.
Backes felt the league’s wrath for delivering a blow to the head of Detroit Red Wings center Frans Nielsen in the first period of the Bruins’ 6-5 overtime victory on Tuesday. Nielsen left and the ice after the incident and could miss several games.
“I think first and foremost the fact that Frans Nielsen is hurt sucks,” said Backes after the team’s pregame skate for tonight’s clash with the Philadelphia Flyers at TD Garden.
“I wasn’t intending to hurt him and I hope he has a full recovery and is back on the ice soon. That’s certainly an unintended consequence to the play. The decision is the decision and that is how the process is in the collective bargaining agreement.
“We had a little hearing on the phone and the decision is the decision and you swallow it.”
?David Backes reacts to his three-game suspension: pic.twitter.com/4YMLjfyFWI
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 8, 2018
David Backes on his 3-game suspension: “I think my agent did all the numbers. I’ve 2400 hits over 12 seasons and I’d never even had a hearing. But that’s where we’re at. It’s the world we live in as the league likes to say a lot. So we’ll just move forward.”
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) March 8, 2018
David Backes: “First and foremost the fact Frans Nielsen is hurt sucks. I wasn’t intending to hurt him. I hope he has a quick and full recovery and he’s back on the ice soon. It was certainly an unintended consequence to a play that was kind of an awkward, one-off kind of play”
— Joe Haggerty (@HackswithHaggs) March 8, 2018
He seems apologetic. I genuinely don’t think he intended to injure him like that. Not sure it was worth 3 compared to what else is tolerated. C’est la vie.
David Backus has always been a class act. I believe he honestly is remorseful.