The New York Islanders defenseman Radek Martinek has been ruled out of the world hockey championship after sustaining a severe concussion in the Czech Republic's opening game against Latvia.
Czech team doctor Radomir Holibka said Sunday that Martinek likely be moved from a Bratislava hospital to the Czech Republic on Monday.
The International Ice Hockey Federation handed Latvia defenseman Arturs Kulda a three-game suspension for the hit he made on Martinek in the first period of Saturday's game. Kulda was not penalized during the game, won by the Czechs 4-2.
Jan-Ake Edvinsson, chairman of the federation's disciplinary panel, said after reviewing the incident that ''the video showed Arturs Kulda jumping into the situation, hitting Martinek's head and neck area.''
