DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri is appealing his eight-game suspension for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk.

The NHL Players’ Association filed the appeal Sunday night on Kadri’s behalf. The first appeal goes to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Kadri can then appeal to a neutral arbitrator if he so chooses.

Kadri was suspended indefinitely after injuring Faulk in Game 2 of the teams’ first-round series pending a video hearing with the league’s department of player safety. That department handed down an eight-game suspension Friday night that rules out Kadri for the remainder of the first round and part of the second.