The New Jersey Devils will be without forward Paul Cotter for the rest of the regular season. His absence is not due to an injury. Instead, he was suspended two games by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head of New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech on Sunday during the Devils 1-0 loss.
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At the 5:57 mark of the second period between the Devils and Islanders, Pelech got the puck in the neutral zone and moved it up towards his teammates. Soon after releasing the puck, Cotter skated through Pelech and extended his arm into the face of the Islanders defenseman. The referee announced that a match penalty was assessed to the Devils forward before reviewing the play.
After reviewing the play, the referees upheld Paul Cotter’s 5-minute match penalty, and he was ejected from the game. Though the Devils were able to kill off the 5-minute penalty, it was a loss to their bottom six. Now the Devils will be without his services for the final two games of the regular season.
After the game, the Department of Player Safety announced that Paul Cotter would have a hearing on Monday for that play. That hearing took place Monday morning. Most people figured a suspension was coming because the NHL wants those types of plays out of the game.
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Paul Cotter has 22 points (16 goals and six assists) in 79 games with the Devils this season. His 16 goals are a career high, and he is three points shy of his career high in points. That will have to wait as he will not be suiting up for the final games against the Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings.
Per the NHL’s Department of Player Safety: Under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement and, based on his average annual salary, Cotter will forfeit $8,072.92. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
In anticipation of Paul Cotter’s suspension, the Devils announced this morning that they had recalled Marc McLaughlin from Utica (AHL). The Devils acquired McLaughlin from the Boston Bruins on March 7, 2025, for Daniil Misyul. McLaughlin was going to meet the team in Boston. It is unclear if he suits up and plays against his former team.
The Devils will try to get back in the win column Tuesday night against Boston before finishing up their season Wednesday night against Detroit.
