Another week, another cheapshot by one NHL player against another.

In Thursday's game between the NY Islanders and NY Rangers, Islanders forward Chris Simon leveled Ranger Ryan Hollweg with a vicious two-handed stick swing to the face, earning himself a match penalty for deliberate attempt to injure and a likely suspension.

You can see the evidence here.

Simon's lumberjack impersonation also cost his team the game as the Rangers would win it on the subsequenty powerplay.

Fortunately for Hollweg, he received a few stitches and will return to action in the Rangers next game on Saturday.

There is simply no excuse for what Simon did, and he's lucky he didn't seriously injury Hollweg.

It remains to be seen how many games Simon is suspended, but I suspect between three and five.

When is the NHL finally going to get serious in discouraging the thuggery we've witnessed on an almost regular basis? It seems to me that these cheapshots, particularly to the head, are happening with frightening regularity.

It was only a week ago that New Jersey Devils forward Cam Janssen sidelined Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle with a blindside cheapshot. Janssen's punishment was a ridiculous three-game suspension. Kaberle has yet to return to action.

What will it take for the league to get serious in cracking down on this crap?

Three and five game suspensions aren't enough to get the message across. It's long overdue for the NHL to put some real teeth into the punishments they hand out for these kind of infractions.

**UPDATE** The NHL has suspended Simon for the remainder of the 2006-07 regular season and the entirety of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Furthermore, according to the league, "If the Islanders do not qualify for the 2007 playoffs, or play fewer than 10 playoff games in the 2007 playoffs, Simon would serve additional games at the start of the 2007-08 regular season to satisfy the minimum term of the suspension."

"Based on his $1-million contract, which expires at the conclusion of the 2006-07 season, Simon forfeits a minimum of $80,213.90. The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund."

For once, the league's disciplinary arm gets it right. I have no complaint over this suspension, as it's what I was calling on the league to do.