On the Islanders Beat

Chris Simon’s NHL disciplinary hearing, which lasted approximately 80 minutes this morning, is over, but no decision was rendered immediately on a penalty for Simon’s stick-swinging attack on Rangers forward Ryan Hollweg Thursday night. For the moment, league officials are content to let stand Simon’s indefinite suspension stemming from the match penalty he received.

The NHL quickly shot down a report by MSG Network that Simon had received a 22-game suspension. “A decision relative to that hearing has not been made,” a release from the league office said. “Any report to the contrary is false.”

NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell presided over the hearing, which included Simon, Islanders general manager Garth Snow and attorneys for the Islanders, the NHL and the NHL Players Association. Videotape replays of the incident were shown, and Simon presented his side of the story.

The meeting was held at the league’s Manhattan offices because Simon might have suffered a concussion when Hollweg drove him into the glass, and he still did not feel well today.

It’s uncertain when a decision will be handed down. There might be concern on the league’s part about how its ruling could affect a criminal probe launched by the office of Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice, especially in a situation where neither Hollweg, the Rangers nor the league requested legal intervention.

Campbell was on a flight home to Toronto this afternoon and was not immediately available for comment. Because of the high-profile nature of the incident, it’s likely Simon will not get off lightly even though Hollweg required just two stitches to the chin and played for the Rangers this afternoon in Pittsburgh.

The Islanders have 15 games remaining in the regular season, starting against Washington tonight at Nassau Coliseum, and they meet the Rangers two more times. If the league wants to avoid another confrontation between Simon and the Rangers this season, it would require a minimum 12-game suspension to carry through the April 3 Isles-Rangers match. But for now, the length of the suspension remains a matter of speculation.

ISLANDERS CALLUP: Jeff Tambellini will be back in the Isles’ lineup tonight against the Capitals in place of Viktor Kozlov, who will miss his first game this season after taking a puck to the foot against the Rangers. Kozlov is listed as day-to-day and is likely to return for a four-game road trip that begins Tuesday in Montreal.