"I wasn't trying to injure him. I tripped him and I was telling him to [expletive], and I did step on his foot. I pushed down on his skate, I don't deny that, but I wasn't trying to hurt him. I don't think a player has ever missed a game from one of my suspensions.

"I look at other guys who have been repeat offenders. One guy used his skate a second time and he got only five games. What I did was wrong, but this is unfair."

— Chris Simon

A very nice follow-up story from Roy MacGregor.

Is 30 games enough? I suppose it depends on the intent here: My feeling is that Gary Bettman and company are hoping this is the end for Simon, and that a suspension long enough to effectively take him close to the end of this season will make him see that writing on the wall. Simon will be 36 next month, and has had by all accounts a terrible season, averaging less than seven minutes ice time per game for the first time in his career.

Is 30 games enough? If the intent's to force Simon into an early retirement, probably not, as in MacGregor's piece he sounds determined to either appeal or try to make good on some sort of a comeback attempt.

It's going to be very difficult for him to now ever rehabilitate his image in the eyes of hockey fans, however, as seven suspensions is just far too many. The intent may not have been there to injure Jarkko Ruutu, but the same can be said for Todd Bertuzzi's unfortunate attempt to send a message to Steve Moore.

A skate blade is a weapon. And Simon used it.

UPDATE Eric Duhatschek has more.