Yadlowski gets 10 games

The league came down hard on Everett's Brennan Yadlowski, handing the overage defenseman a 10-game suspension for his actions following Friday's 7-3 loss at Portland.

Here's what we know about the incident. The clock was winding down when Yadlowski was apparently jumped by Portland's Jason Trott. A fight ensued, with Trott being given an instigator penalty. After the fight Yadlowski was bleeding from the forehead and was as livid as I've ever seen him as he was escorted off the ice. Whatever happened next is what led to the suspension. Everett coach Mark Ferner declined to get into details, saying that "he did something he probably shouldn't have done." On the league website all it says in explanation is, "The player's off-ice actions, following removal from game in the third period, were unacceptable." Given the substantial length of the suspension, it would be nice if the league were a little more specific.

This is the second time an Everett player has received a 10-game suspension. Winger Jesse Mychan, since traded to Tri-City, was handed a 10-game suspension for a checking-to-the-head major penalty. That was Mychan's third suspension of the season.

This is bad for the Tips. Everett has just 20 games remaining in order to claw itself into playoff position. Now the Tips will have to navigate half of that, including the big games at Victoria tonight and tomorrow, without a player who is probably the team's No. 2 d-man. Everett's road to the playoffs just got a little more rocky.