Detroit Red Wings veteran David Perron thinks his six-game suspension for cross-checking Ottawa Senators blue-liner Artem Zub is a little steep.
"Obviously, I got the guy a little high," Perron told reporters Friday. "I understand there was some discipline that needed to be done there, it just felt like on my side it was pretty excessive for the comparables, the history, my career - a lot of things, really, that played into it."
Perron earned the ban for his actions during Detroit's 5-1 loss to the Senators on Dec. 9. The sequence began when Ottawa forward Mathieu Joseph caught Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin in the back of the head during a netfront battle, pushing him into Senators winger Parker Kelly. Zub then fell on top of Larkin's legs while he remained face down and motionless on the ice. Perron reacted to the scene by going after Zub.
Referees assessed Perron a match penalty and tossed him from the game for intent to injure. The 35-year-old said Friday that he thought Zub was the main culprit for the incident, adding that he "would not have just randomly jumped someone."
"(Larkin was) motionless, not moving at all there," Perron said. "Definitely not easy for me to go through that, turn around and see our captain down on the ice. I think, as a whole, throughout the league, you're trying to respond to these types of incidents."
The NHLPA appealed Perron's suspension on Dec. 12, but the three-hour hearing wasn't held until Tuesday - five games into the winger's ban. Commissioner Gary Bettman affirmed the ban Friday, but Perron can go through an independent arbitrator to recoup some of his lost salary.
"Right now, it's more for record and money, but that's what's disappointing for sure. ... You want to be there for your team to play the games," he said.
Perron forked over just under $150,000 as a result of his suspension. The league had never previously suspended him in his career, but he received a $5,000 fine for cross-checking during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Zub stayed in the contest versus Detroit, while Larkin exited and missed the Red Wings' next four games. Joseph didn't face any supplemental discipline.
Larkin recently expressed concern over how the NHL has handled discipline this campaign, saying, "It's hard to feel safe out there" as questionable plays have largely gone unpunished.
Perron is now finished serving his suspension and will return to the lineup when Detroit takes on the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.
"I'm just looking forward to getting back, honestly, and helping out any way I can," he said. "I know I can make a difference as far as the energy in the room, on the ice, on the bench. Just keep the guys kind of looking ahead."
Perron has seven goals and 13 points in 26 games this season. Detroit went 1-5-0 in his absence.