The 2014 Winter Olympics are months away, but Sweden is already down a man.
Vancouver Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler will miss the first two games of the Sochi Games after being suspended by the International Ice Hockey Federation, according to News 1130.
The suspension is a carryover from the 2012 World Hockey Championship, when Edler was suspended two games for a knee-on-knee hit on Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal in the quarterfinals. Edler served his suspension and sat out for the remainder of the tournament, but the IIHF didn’t think two games was an adequate punishment and tacked on two more.
Edler met with IIHF officials over the weekend, and his agent, Mark Stowe, tells News 1130 that the official ruling could be made Monday.
The suspension allows the defenseman to return for Sweden’s final preliminary round game and be available to play in the knockout rounds.
