The AHL came down on Albany Devils defenceman Dan Kelly for his disturbing hit to the head on Toronto Marlies forward Andreas Johnson in Game 4 of their playoff series Tuesday night. Kelly was handed a 10-game suspension for the blow that hospitalized Johnson and left him motionless on the ice. This type of shit needs to get out of the game fast.Kelly's suspension will begin Thursday night, when the Marlies and Devils continue their best-of-seven series in Albany, New York. The series is tied at two games apiece.The vicious elbow to Johnson's head came in his second game in North America after coming over from the Swedish Hockey League. He spent much of that night in the hospital and is being monitored for what is likely a concussion. Marlies coach Sheldon Keefe said Johnson didn't remember anything about the incident, and expects that the 21-year-old will miss the remainder of the series as a result of the "sickening" hit.Keefe was pleased with the league's response:
Kelly's suspension will carry over into next regular season if he doesn't serve the full 10 games before the Devils' playoff run is over.Whatever the situation is, when the league comes down heavy, it sends a message really across the whole league, hopefully, and we'll try to get rid of those hits, take them out of the game. Those suspensions, I think, send a good, loud message.