McSorley Suspended For Season

NHL teams

Boston, which is likely to miss the playoffs, has 23 games left in regular season making McSorley's suspension the longest in NHL history.

"Mr. McSorley's act is entirely unacceptable," NHL vice president Colin Campbell said. "It would be grossly unfair to suggest that his conduct is at all representative of the game, of the other 700 players who play in the NHL or of the countless others who play hockey at all levels."

With 2.7 seconds left in Monday night's game, McSorley skated up from behind and hit Brashear with a two-handed slash to the head, leaving Brashear unconscious and twitching on the ice as blood flowed from his nose.

"That was sickening to see," Canucks coach Marc Crawford said. "I haven't got another word that I can use. There's no place in hockey for that. It was a despicable act and I'm sickened by it."

Brashear hit his head on the ice after being struck and was carried off the ice on a stretcher.

"I'm still in shock at what I did," McSorley said. "I have to come to terms with what I did. There's no excuse. It was so stupid. I can't believe I did it."

McSorley, who did not attend a disciplinary hearing Wednesday at NHL headquarters, still might have to answer to Vancouver police.

"When things like that happen, you worry about a life," Vancouver forward Markus Naslund said. "The slash was bad enough to, I think, kill someone. The league has to make an example. We have to put a stop to things like this."

McSorley and Brashear had a fight in the first period. Brashear had the upper hand in the fight, leaving McSorley frustrated and looking for revenge.

"It's a shocker," Boston captain Ray Bourque said. "I've never been a part of anything like that or witnessed anything like that. There is no way to justify it."