Former Maple Leafs Star Suspended by the KHL for Absurd Reasons

Last season, we did a whole lot of reporting on Josh Leivo and for good reason, as he was an absolute stud in the KHL for Salavat Yulayev.

Overall, the forward broke the single-season scoring record as he had 49 goals and 31 assists for 80 points in just 62 games. For those who may not remember, Leivo played with the Leafs from 2013 until 2019.

Unfortunately, the forward had his contract terminated by Salavat Yulayev just a few weeks ago due to VISA issues. He subsequently signed a deal with Trako Chelyabinsk.

So far this season, Leivo has played two games with his new team and has racked up one goal and three assists for four points.

Unfortunately, the forward is now going to have to sit out the next two games, as the KHL promptly suspended him for the most absurd reason imaginable.

The forward skipped out on the KHL awards, and as a result, the league suspended him for a total of two games. Two games where Leivo won't be able to work on securing another scoring title.

The NHL would never suspend a player for missing the awards, although the KHL is a whole different beast, so we should not be too surprised.

Leivo will not have to wait very long before he can rejoin all of his teammates on Traktor Chelyabinsk, who seem to have the pieces to go on a run this year.

While the forward did not make it in the NHL, it is cool to see him thrive overseas and be such an effective player.

At 32 years old, Leivo still has time to be a KHL legend if he continues down this trajectory.