Sam Gagner Tweets Broken Jaw Photo; Zack Kassian Suspended After High-Sticking Penalty [PICTURE, VIDEO]

Edmonton Oilers center Sam Gagner tweeted a photo of the broken jaw he suffered as a result of a high stick from Vancouver Canucks forward Zack Kassian.

Gagner, 24, suffered the broken jaw injury last Saturday during the Oilers’ preseason game against the Canucks, CBS Sports reports. During the game’s second period, Kassian attempted to check Gagner along the boards. When he missed, he swung his stick directly at Gagner’s face, striking him in the jaw.

“Thank you all for the support. Excited to come back stronger and hopefully better looking than a few days ago,” Gagner tweeted, along with a photo of his broken jaw. Gagner’s jaw is noticeably swollen in the photo, and several of his teeth appear to have been knocked out of place. He's expected to be sidelined for the next six to eight weeks.

Kassian, 22, will reportedly be suspended for the rest of the NHL preseason and the first five games of the 2013-14 season, CBS Sports reports. During a meeting with the NHL’s department of player safety, the Canucks forward claimed that the high-sticking incident was unintentional, and only occurred because Gagner avoided his initial check. Kassian will reportedly lose $22,500 in salary during his suspension.

Gagner’s broken jaw photo can be viewed above or on his Twitter account. In addition, a video of the high-sticking penalty that resulted in Kassian’s suspension can be watched below.

[h/t Larry Brown Sports]