Anaheim Ducks forward Jean-Francois Jacques has been suspended for the remainder of the pre-season and for five regular season games for a violation of rule 70 which governs any player who on a legal line change comes onto the ice for the expressed purpose of starting a fight.
In Saturday's pre-season game against the Vancouver Canucks, the 26-year-old forward entered the playing surface via a legal line change and went right after the Canucks' Mike Duco to engage in a fight.
Jacques received, and has already served, an automatic one game suspension for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of the third period. He sat out Sunday's game against the Los Angeles Kings.
After the game against the Canucks, Ducks head coach Randy Carlyle had a hard time explaining the actions of the player he sent out on the ice.
"It's hard to defend. You can't defend what he did," Carlyle said to the media. "He went across the ice and went after a guy, and it's kind of like you're at a loss for words when it's happening. You're shaking your head. But what can you do?"
Jacques is in his first season with the Ducks after spending his entire career with the Edmonton Oilers since breaking into the league in 2005-2006.
The Montreal native appeared in 51 games last season with the Oilers, a career high for the forward. He will forfeit $17,567.55 during his suspension.
