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Bruins forward Shawn Thornton will be appealing his 15-game suspension handed down by the National Hockey League. The NHL suspended Thornton for his attack on Penguins defenceman Brooks Orpik. After the whistle, Thornton skated the length of the ice, pulled Orpik to the ice from behind and punched him in the face several times. Orpik suffered a concussion and was taken to hospital. The Appeal Process As a first step, Thornton will appeal the suspension to Commissioner Gary Bettman. He hears all appeals on league discipline. Since the suspension exceeds five games, Bettman is required to have an in-person hearing for Thornton. Since Thornton was at the NHL office last week for his disciplinary hearing, he should know his way around by now. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) provides that "the Commissioner shall endeavor to hear all appeals on an expedited basis and will determine whether the decision" is supported by clear and convincing evidence. So Bettman will get this done quickly and will assess whether the suspension makes sense based on the circumstances. Thornton should expect to fail on appeal to Bettman. The suspension was handed down by the Director of Player Safety Brendan Shanahan. However, given the complex legal implications of this case, particularly in light of the concussion lawsuits, the suspension was very likely a group effort. So the suspension wasnt a Shanahan decision as much as it was a league decision issued through Shanahan. As a result, its unlikely Bettman will reduce the suspension. Frankly, reductions by Bettman are unlikely in most circumstances. He runs the league so he wont contradict himself. Indeed, the NHLPA has probably told Thornton the prospects of success are bleak. And this brings us to the next stage in the appeal process. Appeal Number 2 It doesnt end with Bettman. Since the suspension exceeds five games, the CBA gives Thornton the right to appeal Bettmans decision to an independent arbitrator. This wasnt around in the old CBA and is brand new, thanks to the NHLPAs negotiations during the lockout. Thornton will have seven days to appeal Bettmans decision to the arbitrator (who is described as a "Neutral Discipline Arbitrator" in the CBA). There will once again be an in-person hearing, and while the CBA doesnt say when it must occur, the arbitrator needs to hear it on an "expedited basis". So again, relatively quickly. The arbitrator will consider the length of the suspension and whether its appropriate. That determination will be made by examining things like the incident, the leagues past practice, the evidence and the surrounding circumstances. The arbitrator has broad powers. The CBA gives the arbitrator "full remedial authority", which means he can reduce the suspension, leave it as is, or even increase it. Its unlikely, though, the suspension would ever be increased. If Thornton is unhappy with the decision of the arbitrator, his only recourse would be to challenge the ruling in court. However, a judge will not interfere with the arbitrators decision unless its completely outrageous. Effectively, then, you should consider the arbitrators decision final. To be clear, Thornton doesnt have to appeal Bettmans ruling to the arbitrator. If he wants, after the Commissioner rules on his case, he can decide to stop the appeal process and serve out what is left of his suspension. As I wrote here, Thorntons prospects of success on appeal are low, given the NHLs past practice when it comes to these types of incidents. As well, the NHL may be able to make a compelling case that this type of suspension represents an important deterrent for on-ice behaviour that puts players at risk for concussions and the irreversible brain damage that may flow from head shots. However, merits aside, I also noted that we could still see an appeal. Since independent arbitrators are new, the NHLPA may want to start building precedents to help guide them in future cases. As well, the NHLPA needs to show that it wont roll over when it comes to defending its players and that it is prepared to dig in and fight. So while this case does not present a high likelihood of success for Thornton, the NHLPA sees value in taking a stand. And as it should. As for Brooks Orpik, he may not be too happy with the NHLPA defending his attacker. Still, the NHLPA may draw the fine distinction that the appeal is not adverse to Orpik, but rather adverse to the NHL and its decision. So the Union isnt technically acting against one of its own, but instead acting on behalf of one of its own. That is a distinction that may not sit well with Orpik. However, thats the nature of the NHLPA beast. Chris McCullough Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Otto Porter Jersey . Next week, hell try to add to the list. A Stanley Cup champion as a rookie, Seguin followed that up by becoming the youngest player to lead the Boston Bruins in scoring. http://www.cheapwizardsjerseyssale.com/k...wizards-jersey/. The move will give Hentgen the "time needed to support his family and his fathers current health issues," the Blue Jays said in a release. Hentgen spent 10 of his 14 big-league seasons with the Blue Jays, winning a Cy Young Award in 1996. Markieff Morris Jersey . In the last race before the Sochi Olympics, Bjoergen followed up her win in the 10-kilometre classical race on Saturday by beating World Cup sprint leader Denise Herrmann of Germany by 0.43 seconds for her fifth victory of the season. Troy Brown Jr. Jersey . Peter Dawson took his long before he started the job. "I was playing an American one year at Oxford Golf Club, and he introduced me to this travelling mulligan," Dawson said. TAMPA, Fla. -- Quarterback Josh Freeman was released by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday, a week after being benched in favour of rookie Mike Glennon. The winless Bucs made the latest move during their bye week after general manager Mark Dominik contacted every other team in the NFL in an unsuccessful attempt to trade Freeman, a 4,000-yard passer a year ago and the teams career leader with 1,144 completions and 80 touchdowns. Coach Greg Schiano benched Freeman after the 25-year-old completed just 45.7 per cent of his passes and posted a league-low quarterback rating of 59.3 through three games, all losses. Glennon made his first pro start last Sunday, turning the ball over three times during the fourth quarter of a 13-10 loss to Arizona. Freeman is owed the remaining $6.25 million on the contract he signed as the third quarterback selected in the 2009 draft behind Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez. "We appreciate his efforts over the past five seasons, but we felt this was in the best interests of both Josh and the Buccaneers," Dominik said a brief 33-word statement. Freeman threw for 4,065 yards, 27 touchdowns and 17 interceptions in 2012, but his inconsistent play down the stretch contributed to the team losinng five of six games and failing to make the playoffs for the fifth straight year.dddddddddddd He led the Bucs to a 10-6 record -- though not a post-season berth -- while throwing for 25 TDs and just six interceptions in his first full season as a starter in 2010. The release caps a tumultuous month in which Freeman overslept before missing a team photo shoot, was not voted a captain for time since his rookie year, and reportedly missed at least one other team meeting. This week, the saga took a messy turn when Freeman released a statement through his agent, saying he had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and entered the NFL substance-abuse program more than a year ago after mistakenly taking Ridilin instead of Adderall to treat the condition. The NFL Players Association is investigating the quarterbacks claim that someone in the Bucs organization leaked confidential information about him being in the program to the media. According to Freeman and his agent Erik Burkhardt, the quarterback has passed all 46 tests administered by the league. Freeman was declared inactive for last weeks game and watched Glennons debut from a suite at Raymond James Stadium. Schiano called it a "mutual decision." 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