Andrew Hotham, one of the best defenceman in Elite League ice hockey, has been banned for two matches.

Canadian Hotham is ruled out of Wednesday’s Challenge Cup semi-final second leg match against Belfast Giants and Saturday’s League trip to Coventry Blaze.

The suspension is a massive blow to Devils hopes of winning in Belfast and earning a place in the cup final.

Player-coach Andrew Lord will switch versatile forward Chris Culligan to defence and he is effective playing from the blue line, but the loss of Hotham is damaging.

Nottingham Panthers asked the League department of player safety to review an incident which happened during Cardiff’s away win on Saturday.

DOPS gave Hotham a match penalty for slashing, which carries an automatic one-game ban, and then upgraded with with an addition one-match suspension.

“This is one of the heaviest suspensions handed out this season,” explained Managing Director Todd Kelman.

“I saw the video and Hotham definitely slashes the Panthers’ player. It certainly wasn’t malicious. There was no intent to injure. It happened in three on three overtime in the middle of the play.

“From my understanding, the (Nottingham) player has broken his finger, which we never want to see, but this is the kind of injury that happens all the time in ice hockey.

“Players slash at each other’s sticks and can hits sticks or gloves. It is part of the game. This was not an intent to injure.”

Hotham will not travel to Belfast with the Devils team on Wednesday or to Coventry to face the Blaze on Saturday night.