Flyers' Boulerice suspended 25 games

Philadelphia Flyers forward Jesse Boulerice received a 25-game suspension, without pay, for cross-checking Vancouver's Ryan Kesler across the face.

The vicious hit occurred late in the third period of the Flyers' 8-2 win on Wednesday night, and Boulerice was handed a match penalty for deliberate injury of an opponent.

"This was more than a careless and reckless play - it was senseless," said NHL senior  executive  vice president of hockey operations Colin Campbell. "This was a deliberate cross-check to the face where Jesse Boulerice broke the shaft of his stick on Ryan Kesler's jaw. Boulerice went out of his way to deliver the cross-check and we will not tolerate this kind of conduct."

Boulerice's actions will cost him $63,502.75. He will not be eligible to return until December 13.

Boulerice is the second Flyer this season to be disciplined by the league for a violent on-ice act. Last month, Steve Downie was suspended 20 games for leaving his feet to deliver a dangerous check on Ottawa's Dean McAmmond, who had to be removed on a stretcher.

This, however, was not Boulerice's first stick-wielding incident. On April 17, 1998, while a member of the Plymouth Whalers of the Ontario Hockey League, he was assessed a match penalty for using his stick to strike the face of Andrew Long of the Guelph Storm. Consequently, Boulerice was suspended for the entire 1998-1999 OHL season and charged with assault.

The Plattsburgh, New York, native was a fifth-round pick (133rd overall) of the Flyers back in 1996, and made his NHL debut in 2001-2002.