KEY POINTS

  • Brendan Lemieux is no stranger to fines and suspensions in the NHL
  • Senators coach D.J. Smith is unaware if Brady Tkachuk needs to get a tetanus shot
  • Tkachuk brands Lemieux's actions as the most gutless thing anyone could ever do

The NHL has cracked the whip on Brendan Lemieux of the Los Angeles Kings for biting off a chunk of skin off Brady Tkachuk of the Ottawa Senators.

The 25-year-old son of ex-NHL player Claude Lemieux was handed a five-game suspension and will forfeit $38,750 in salary.

The decision was announced by the league on Tuesday, November 30.

Lemieux and Tkachuk were involved in a scuffle during an NHL game over the weekend at the Staples Center.

When things appeared to be settling down, the son of former NHL star Keith Tkachuk alleged that Lemieux was biting, ripping into his hands with his teeth.

A video of the incident was shared by NHL.com, showing how the fracas started.

“This is not a hockey play,” the NHL said in the video. “This is a player delivering a forceful, intentional and potentially dangerous bite to the bare hand of another player with sufficient force to puncture the skin.”

It happened in the third quarter of the Senators vs. Kings match after Tkachuk shoved Blake Lizotte of the Kings after a whistle.

Lemieux went in to aid his teammate and ended up wrestling Tkachuk in the process.

In the course of their skirmish, Lemieux could be seen biting Tkachuk’s bare hand not once but twice.

When officials separated the players, the 22-year-old Senators captain showed off the bite marks in his hand that resulted in Lemieux receiving a match penalty.

Other than the video, the NHL added that their analysis included the medical information submitted by the Senators' training staff.

"I think it is the most gutless thing somebody could ever do," Tkachuk told reporters after the game.

During a team practice a few days ago, Senators head coach D.J. Smith stressed that he didn't know whether Tkachuk required a tetanus shot after being bitten, the Ottawa Sun reported.

Brendan Lemieux #48 of the New York Rangers pushes Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators
Brendan Lemieux #48 of the New York Rangers pushes Brady Tkachuk #7 of the Ottawa Senators Getty Images | Bruce Bennett

“I don’t believe he did, but that’s a good question and I’ll have to ask the doctors or trainers,” Smith said. “I don’t believe he did, but if he did require it, that would have been done already.”

In his 194-game NHL career, Lemieux has already been suspended twice and fined once.

His suspension ends on December 11, in time for the Kings’ face-off with the Minnesota Wild.

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