Stick-swinging Simon suspended record 25 games

"I need to make clear that this is not justification for the danger I put Ryan Hollweg in and the damage I have caused the game," Simon said in the statement. "Since Ryan is thankfully OK, what hurts the most is knowing my actions will result in me losing the privilege of being in the Islanders lineup."

The 35-year-old left wing apologized to Hollweg in the statement and said he hopes to reach out to him soon.

Simon was given a match penalty for deliberate attempt to injure when he got up from ice after being crunched by Hollweg against the boards. Simon took a few strides toward Hollweg, and caught him with a two-handed swing of his stick that connected on the chin and neck.

Hollweg took a few stitches in the chin, but was not seriously hurt. He was in the lineup Saturday for the Rangers' loss at Pittsburgh.

"Whether it's appropriate or not isn't for me to judge," Rangers coach Tom Renney said Sunday. "It's one of those things everyone will have a reaction to. The two things for me that are most important are that Ryan is OK and able to play, and Chris, for me anyway, is a good man.

"He's had to pay the price, and that's appropriate. I think it needs to be a message that's loud and clear, of course. We all have to move forward and learn what we can from it."

The NHL punishment might be only the beginning of Simon's troubles. A spokesman for Nassau County District Attorney Kathleen Rice said Friday that "no decision has been reached" about whether to bring charges against Simon, but that prosecutors would review the tape.

McSorley and Bertuzzi both were charged by Vancouver authorities for their attacks. Bertuzzi pleaded guilty to causing bodily harm, and McSorley was convicted of assault with a weapon for hitting Brashear.

Simon was ejected from the Islanders' 2-1 loss to the Rangers with 6:31 remaining in what was a tie game. The ensuing major power play resulted in Petr Prucha's decisive goal.

"Chris Simon has played a major role in our success this season and we will miss his presence in our lineup," Islanders general manager Garth Snow said in a statement released Sunday. "His regret is clearly evident in the statement he released last night. Our entire organization supports Chris every step of the way."

Simon has been suspended four other times for violent on-ice acts, and received a three-game ban in 1997 after directing a racial slur toward player Mike Grier, who is black.

Brashear, now with the Washington Capitals, said after Saturday night's game against the Islanders that "things happen sometimes."

"I know what type of guy Chris is, and he's an honest guy. I saw the hit he took, and he lost control a little bit too much, and that's what it's all about," Brashear said.

"That's where it gets dangerous. A guy loses control, and you don't know what's going to happen. We try to stay away from those, and I'm sure after it happened, he looked at himself and said, 'What the hell am I doing?' It looked like he meant to do something else. Sometimes, guys have to pay the price, and I guess he's going to be one of them."