Flyers Notes: Brayden Schenn Won't Appeal 3-game Suspension

When Brayden Schenn's three-game suspension for charging Washington Capitals forward T.J. Oshie in Game 6 of the teams' first-round series came down, many thought Schenn would appeal because the punishment didn't seem to fit a play that seemed innocuous.

Think again.

Flyers general manager Ron Hextall confirmed on Saturday evening that Schenn will not appeal and has chosen to instead accept the three-game ban that will take effect at the start of next season.

It was a decision made by the player, not the team, according to Hextall.

"The player actually has to go through with the appeal," the Flyers' GM said. "We talked to Brayden and his agent and they decided not to go through with it.

"It's got to come through the (NHL Players Association). ... We talked. Essentially, we give our thought process and they give theirs. And then we talk to all the people we have to talk to. In the end, it just didn't make a lot of sense (to appeal)."

On the play in question, Schenn skated down the ice into the Flyers' defensive zone to chase a loose puck in the second period of Game 6. Schenn laid a high hit on Oshie, who had just retrieved the puck behind the Flyers' net. Oshie left the ice but returned later in the contest.

The league's Department of Player Safety deemed Schenn "launched himself" into Oshie at a high rate of speed and made contact with Oshie's head, earning the three-game ban. Schenn was not penalized on the play.

Video of the league's suspension explanation can be seen here.

This is Schenn's second suspension of his five-year career. He was previously suspended one game in January 2013 for charging New Jersey's Anton Volchenkov.

Schenn, who will turn 25 in August, is a restricted free agent coming off a year in which he recorded career-highs with 26 goals, 33 assists and 59 points in 80 games.

Voracek, Couturier on track
The news of injuries and impending surgeries for Claude Giroux and Shayne Gostisbehere ruled the day Saturday (see story), but Hextall also provided health updates on two other Flyers.

Both Jake Voracek and Sean Couturier are healing on schedule from their respective injuries.

"Everything I've heard about Jake and Coots, everything is good," Hextall said.

Voracek missed nine games after injuring his foot in a win over the visiting Minnesota Wild on Feb. 25. But he clearly wasn't the same player after returning to the lineup, struggling with both skating and producing points. He just seemed out of sync.

"He's healed," Hextall said of Voracek. "He had some bumps and bruises along the way, obviously, toward the end there."

Couturier suffered a shoulder injury in Game 1 of the playoff series against the Caps when Alex Ovechkin delivered a clean, hard check into the Verizon Center boards. The injury, which was reportedly a sprained AC joint, kept the Flyers' center out the rest of the series. His defensive presence was clearly missed against the Capitals, who outscored the Flyers 14-6 in the series.

Hextall also added that no other Flyers are anticipated to any kind of offseason surgery.