Duncan Keith suspended 6 games for high sticking

Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith was suspended for six games for high-sticking Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle, the NHL announced Friday. 

Since there are just five remaining games in the regular season, this means Keith will also miss the Blackhawks' first playoff game. 

"This is an intentional and retaliatory act of violence by a player with a history of using his stick as a weapon," the NHL department of player safety determined. 

"Even if Coyle tripped Keith intentionally, it would not in any way excuse a response of this kind." 

Keith swung his stick up and hit Coyle in the face after Coyle took Keith down on a clean open-ice hit during the Wild's 4-1 win over Chicago Tuesday night. Keith was given a match penalty, which resulted in his ejection.

Coyle received stitches for his gash and later returned to the game.

Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle (3) after the hit. 

The punishment also appeared to factor in the 32-year-old Keith's two prior suspensions — another retaliatory high stick to Kings center Jeff Carter's face resulted in a suspension from a 2013 Western Conference final game. 

While Chicago's top defenseman and the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner could appeal the suspension to Commissioner Gary Bettman, it's not clear how long that process would take.

Keith averages more than 25 minutes a game for the defending Stanley Cup-champion Blackhawks, who are currently in third place in the Central Division.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.