Arizona Coyotes' defenseman Jarred Tinordi has been suspended 20 games by the league for violating the NHL Performance Enhancing Substances policy. The NHL announced the news on Wednesday, and Tinordi responded saying he did not "knowingly" take the substance.
Tinordi and the Coyotes released statements about the suspension after it was announced. The defenseman said that he is "extremely disappointed" that he failed the test, and that he "did not knowingly take a banned substance." Tinordi went on to say that he is "responsible" for what he takes and that he "accepts" the suspension from the league.
The team expressed its support for Tinordi, with Coyotes general manager Don Maloney saying the team will "continue to support Jarred throughout this process. We will have no further comment at this time."
Tinordi was acquired by the Coyotes in a trade with the Nashville Predators and Montreal Canadiens that included defenseman John Scott. Tinordi has appeared in seven games with the team since being acquired, and he has played in 10 total games this season. The defenseman has played mostly in the AHL and has appeared in 53 games in the league since 2012.
Tinordi's suspension likely will stretch into next season, as there are just 16 games left on the schedule this year. Tinordi is set to be a restricted free agent and is playing on a one-year deal this season. Tinordi will have to serve the four games next season if he is on an NHL roster. Anaheim Ducks' forward Shawn Horcoff was previously suspended this season for violating the PED policy.
Tinordi was a first round pick for the Montreal Canadiens in 2010, but he was never able to get regular playing time with the team. Tinordi has put up six assists over three seasons in the NHL. The Coyotes are currently out of the mix in the playoffs race, sitting 10 points behind the second wild card in the Western Conference. The team is 28-32-6 on the season with 62 points.
