Yes, that is Clarkson in the middle of the fight on Sunday night. (USATSI)
Yes, that is Clarkson in the middle of the fight on Sunday night. (USATSI)

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There didn't seem to be much room for negotiating in Maple Leafs forward David Clarkson's 10-game suspension handed out on Monday night, it's an automatic suspension for leaving the bench illegally. Period.

But that doesn't look like it's going to stop Clarkson from appealing. While the other main parties of Sunday night's brawl have spoken to the media, Clarkson has remained quiet. The belief behind that is he's planning to remain quiet since he plans to appeal, or at least considering it.

This hunch has been confirmed by Chris Johnston of Sportsnet; Clarkson is mulling the appeal option.

Good luck with that, Clarkson. Not happening.

It's very clear in the videos of the fight that Clarkson left the bench to join the fracas on the ice and that's very clearly against the rules. There is no room for misinterpretation in that rule.

Then again, perhaps it's a stall tactic as Sean Gentille threw out. With Phil Kessel facing a potential suspension, the Leafs could be in a really rough spot that first week, as Cap Geek noted.

Things are never, ever dull in Leaf land.