Avtsin banned for 5 games, Yip for 3

Following a request from the Refereeing Department, the KHL Disciplinary Committee has reviewed two episodes from Friday's matches in the Championship, and two players have received lengthy bans as a result.

In the 55th minute of the match in Nizhnekamsk between Neftekhimik and HC Sochi, home team forward Alexander Avtsin collided with a referee, knocking him to the ice. After studying the evidence presented to them, the Committee found Avtsin guilty of unsporting behavior toward a match official, for which he receives a game misconduct penalty (20 minutes), a fine, and a five-game suspension.

The second incident under review occurred during a face-off in the 26th minute of the match in Shanghai between Kunlun Red Star and Lokomotiv Yaroslavl. After scrutinizing this episode, the Committee judged home team forward Brandon Yip guilty of slashing, for which he receives a major plus game misconduct penalty (5+20 minutes), a fine, and a one-game suspension.

As the player has earned a 5+20-minute penalty in two previous matchesthis season (against Ak Bars and Avtomobilist), he incurs a separate fine and an automatic two-game suspension for repeat offending.

Brandon Yip is therefore banned for a total of three games.