from Joe McDonald of ESPN Boston,
Boston Bruins forward Shawn Thornton has decided not to appeal his 15-game suspension to an independent arbitrator for attacking the Pittsburgh Penguins' Brooks Orpik during a game at TD Garden on Dec. 7.
After the team's morning skate Tuesday at Ristuccia Arena, Thornton said it was not an easy decision and he's had difficulty sleeping the last couple of days. He was even late getting onto the ice Tuesday because he was exhausting all his options with his lawyers.
Thornton, his agent and the Bruins felt that by the time a decision on the appeal was made, it actually wouldn't save him any games. He's eligible to return on Jan. 11 at San Jose.
Thornton said he'd rather not be a distraction for the team and wants to focus on preparing for his return. He thought there would be a hearing prior to Jan. 11 but it was not a guarantee that it would happen.
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