LOS ANGELES -- Sharks forward Raffi Torres was suspended for the rest of San Joses second-round playoff series against Los Angeles on Thursday for an illegal check to the head of Kings forward Jarret Stoll during the opener. The NHL announced the suspension a few hours before the Kings hosted the Sharks in Game 2. Stoll wasnt expected to play for the defending Stanley Cup champions. Stoll didnt return to Game 1 after Torres hit him late in the second period of the Kings 2-0 victory. Torres got only a minor penalty for charging on the hit, and coach Todd McLellan and captain Joe Thornton echoed Torres belief that the hit was completely legal. The NHLs Department of Player Safety sharply disagreed while handing down a fourth suspension for Torres, considered a repeat offender in dangerous hits under the leagues collective bargaining agreement. Torres flew to New York for an in-person hearing Thursday. While playing for Phoenix last season, Torres received a 21-game suspension -- initially 25 games -- for a high hit on Chicago star Marian Hossa in the first round of the playoffs. Torres was suspended for two games in January 2012 for charging Minnesota defenceman Nate Prosser, and he sat out four games in April 2011 for a hit to the head of Edmontons Jordan Eberle while playing for Vancouver. Stoll was bent forward while trying to play a bouncing puck when Torres approached him from the side for a violent hit. Stolls head snapped back violently before he fell forward onto the ice. In an explanatory video released by Brendan Shanahan, the NHLs senior vice-president of player safety, he said Stolls head was "the principal point of contact" in the hit, creating grounds for suspension. Although Torres initially made contact with Stolls right shoulder, Shanahan ruled that the shoulder hit was only a glancing blow, as evidenced by the direction both players travelled after the contact. Torres claimed he had changed his ways during a largely incident-free season with Phoenix and San Jose, his sixth team in six seasons. He has been a dependable depth forward this season for the Sharks and Coyotes, scoring 18 points with just 17 penalty minutes in 39 games. The Kings lose much more in the absence of Stoll, their veteran third-line centre. Stoll is a faceoff specialist and a top penalty-killer with a strong two-way game. Brad Richardson, who played 13 playoff games during the Kings championship run last year, is expected to take Stolls spot in the lineup. Los Angeles hasnt disclosed the nature of Stolls injury or a timetable for his recovery. Torres, Thornton and McLellan all claimed the hit was completely legal, while Kings coach Darryl Sutter called it "careless." Torres and Stoll are friends after three seasons as teammates in Edmonton from 2005-08. "We were kind of shocked to hear he has to fly to New York for the hearing, because we didnt see anything wrong on the play," Thornton said Wednesday. "Its unfortunate that Raffi has to go through this again." McLellan prepared for Torres likely absence by moving Joe Pavelski onto the Sharks second line on the left wing with Logan Couture and Patrick Marleau. Scott Gomez moved into Pavelskis spot on the third line, and Tim Kennedy is likely to suit up on the fourth line.David West Warriors Jersey . Hamelin, who triumphed in the 500 on Saturday, edged out Victor An of Russia by 0.021 seconds to maintain his lead in the World Cup standings. Russias Vladimir Grigorev was third. In the relay, Canada took control six laps from the finish line to beat Russia and the Netherlands. Patrick McCaw Jersey . 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Wilt Chamberlain Warriors Jersey . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web.CALGARY, Alberta -- Dave Cameron and Paul Jerrard have joined the Calgary Flames coaching staff under new head coach Glen Gulutzan.Cameron was head coach of the Ottawa Senators for almost two seasons, while Jerrard was an assistant coach of the American Hockey Leagues Utica Comets.They join assistant Martin Gelinas, goaltending coach Jordan Sigalet and video coach Jamie Pringle on Gulutzans staff.Gulutzan was hired last month to replace Bob Hartley, who was fired May 3.The Senators fired Cameronn in April.dddddddddddd. The 57-year-old spent six years with the Senators and was promoted from assistant to head coach during the 2014-15 season.Ottawa went 70-50-17 under Cameron and made the playoffs in 2015.Gulutzan reunites with Jerrard, a 51-year-old from Winnipeg who was Gulutzans assistant both with the Dallas Stars and their AHL affiliate from 2009 to 2013. ' ' '