We don’t love bragging, but we’re more than happy to do it when the opportunity presents itself. And, in the case of Alex Burrows’ suspension, we fully called it.

Former Canucks winger Burrows didn’t technically qualify as a repeat offender when the NHL was reviewing the case against his retaliatory punching and kneeing of New Jersey Devils forward Taylor Hall.

But the Ottawa Senators veteran was still likely hurt by his past transgressions (one three-game suspension and three fines), as the department of player safety is allowed to take any past discipline into consideration.

Is 10 games harsh? Not really. It’s more or less in line with what the league has doled out when it sees dangerous behavior that seems completely unnecessary in terms of what’s happening on the ice.

It’s somewhat similar—although not nearly as over-the-top ridiculous—to what Shawn Thornton got 15 games for doing to Brooks Orpik.

It also draws some similarities in terms of intent to this incident in which Radko Gudas brutally swung his stick at Mathieu Perrault:

Gudas got 10 games for his infraction, which is admittedly worse than what Burrows did, but it's similar in that it was an obvious attempt to injure. And the fact is that Gudas only made one aggressive action, whereas Burrows committed a few. 

Frankly, Burrows is lucky Hall wasn’t seriously hurt on the play.

Because the Devils and Sens don’t play again this year, you can be sure that the former will have their first game of the 2018-19 season against Ottawa circled and underlined.

It’ll be a fun one to watch, if Burrows isn’t bought out in the offseason. The Sens traded Jonathan Dahlen to the Canucks last season in an ill-advised move. Ottawa then doubled down on Burrows after he had a decent end of the year run, signing him to a two-year deal. As Ottawa is on the outside of the playoff picture and Burrows has eight points in 51 games, the Sens have to be regretting that contract.

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