Daniel Carcillo praised NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and the league for their handling of his suspension appeals process. Carcillo got his 10-game suspension reduced to six games, which means he's eligible to return form Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. He's being punished for physically abusing an official. The league justified reducing his suspension because they felt his actions fell into a less severe category than it was initially listed in. Unlike many other league rules, the suspensions for abusing an official come with mandatory minimums and changing which category his offense fell under brought the suspension from a mandatory minimum of 10 games to three contests. "I'm just really encouraged, and like I said, hopefully they don't need me, but it's nice to be able to be around the guys again," Carcillo said of his suspension being reduced.

Daniel Carcillo's 10-game suspension has been reduced to six games following an appeal. Carcillo got an automatic suspension as a result of his abusing an official. The NHL's justification for lessening his punishment was that they ultimately felt he actually violated Rule 40.4 rather than 40.3 with the difference being that Rule 40.4 carries a minimum punishment of only three games. Rule 40.4 punishes players for using force against an official solely for the purposes of breaking free of them. Carcillo is now eligible to play in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

According to John Shannon of Sportsnet, Rangers forward Daniel Carcillo should expect to hear from the NHL Tuesday regarding the appeal of his 10-game suspension. Barring a reduction in the suspension by Commissioner Gary Bettman, Carcillo is slated to miss the Stanley Cup Finals in their entirety and will see his ban carry over into next season. He's not exactly an integral part of the Rangers' plans for the series so it will be interesting to see how big a role he'll play in the event he is cleared to play.

Daniel Carcillo is expected to hear from the NHL on Monday as to whether his appeal of his 10 game suspension for abusing an official will be reduced. Commissioner Gary Bettman is expected to rule today. If the suspension is upheld, Carcillo is done for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Final and his suspension will carry on into next season.

Daniel Carcillo's appeal of his 10-game suspension for abusing an official will be heard Friday morning. Carcillo has already served the first two contests of his suspension. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will listen to Carcillo's appeal and from there he might choose to increase or reduce the Rangers forward's punishment or simply leave the current ruling intact.

Rangers coach Alain Vigneault questioned linesman Scott Driscoll's role in Daniel Carcillo's 10-game suspension. Carcillo earned the automatic suspension for using physical force against an official. He is exercising his right to appeal the suspension. "I still don't understand why Scott grabbed him in that fashion," Vigneault said. "All Scott had to do was tell him he had a penalty. Obviously, it's inexcusable what Dan did but those situations, put one after the other, leads to a gentleman's career [that], moving forward, might be very tough here." It's always nice to see someone offer up an excuse, followed by the line, "obviously, it's inexcusable." There can't be circumstances where it's okay for a player to use physical force against an official. If there are, then it becomes impossible for the officials to do their job.

Daniel Carcillo will reportedly appeal his 10-game suspension. He received the ban automatically as a result of being assessed a game misconduct penalty under Rule 40.3 Physical Abuse of Officials, which states: "Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner (excluding actions as set out in Category I), which physical force is applied without intent to injure, or who spits on an official, shall be automatically suspended for not less than ten (10) games."

Former Rangers pest Sean Avery used social media to express consternation over Daniel Carcillo's 10-game suspension. Carcillo was suspended for physically abusing an offical when he made contact antagonistically with linesman Scott Driscoll in the first period of the Rangers' 3-2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final Thursday night. Avery tweeted this Friday: "What a league......10 games for what? I used to pretend i was dumping the puck and instead try and hit the stripes :)"

Daniel Carcillo has the option of appealing his 10-game suspension. The length of Carcillo's suspension was an automatic punishment for physically abusing an official. He might get some degree of leniency if he appeals and given that his playoff run will be essentially over otherwise, he doesn't have much reason to decline his right to appeal.

Daniel Carcillo didn't find a defendant in his coach after he used physical force against an official during Thursday's contest. Rangers coach Alain Vigneault suggested that Carcillo getting suspended was a matter of "common sense." Carcillo might end up with a 10 or 20-game suspension depending on whether or not it's felt Carcillo's actions "could reasonably be expected to cause injury." There's also a lesser, automatic three-game suspension when physical force is used for the sole purpose of trying to break free from an official.