Brent Burns Autographed Card

So this weekend marked the first time Brent Burns of the Minnesota Wild was suspended - for hitting Steve Bernier in the eye with the butt of his stick and fracturing his orbital bone; Bernier is expected to be out for at least a month, Burns got two games.

I, for one, think Burns should have had 5 games, roughly two weeks, for his dick move. Until the NHL starts handing out suspensions not based on the league's history (i.e. ''two games'' has pretty much been standard for 95% of offenses since the 1990s) but based on the danger level of the move and the severity of the opponent's injury. The Florida Panthers are without their best power forward for at least a month, while the Wild will barely feel Burns' absence - 2 games in an 82-game calendar is a joke.

On the other hand, it was Burns' first suspension. He is mostly known as a pretty boy star athlete who keeps improving his points total every season. He has grown into a 6'5'', 220-pound offensive defenseman and, as he has gained weight, has accumulated more and more penalty minutes each year.

This card, which sees him sporting the AHL's Houston Aeros colours, is from In The Game's 2005-06 Heroes And Prospects set (card #54) and was sent to me via trade from a trusted collector. He had acquired it via mail.

Hopefully he goes back to doing what he does best on the ice, like when he was named the 2008 World Championship's best defenseman on Team Canada's silver medal team, rather than try to poke peoples' eyes out.