Oilers defenceman Andy Sutton has been suspended indefinitely by the NHL for his hit on Carolina Hurricanes forward Alexei Ponikarovsky.
The incident occurred in the third period of Edmonton's 5-3 loss to the visiting Hurricanes on Wednesday night.
Sutton has been offered the option of an in-person hearing with the league, the NHL said Thursday in a statement on its website.
He was suspended for five games earlier this season for a hit to the head of Colorado's Gabriel Landeskog during an Oct. 28 game in Denver.
Sutton, a six-foot-six 245-pounder, has three points and 50 penalty minutes in 16 games this season.