Zack Kassian Suspended, Placed in Substance-Abuse Program by NHL

The NHL announced Monday it placed Montreal Canadiens forward Zack Kassian in Stage 2 of the Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health Program following his car crash over the weekend.

According to the Montreal Gazette, the 24-year-old was a passenger in a truck that collided with a tree in a Montreal borough early Sunday morning. Kassian suffered nose and foot fractures in the accident.

"I do not have all the information, but it is disappointing to say the least," said Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox. "You have to be respectful. You're lucky to be hockey players. I'm a firm believer in character, and that's really a lack of character and judgment on his part."

Although immensely talented, Kassian has yet to put it all together on the ice, scoring 35 goals and assisting on 31 more in 198 career NHL games. Montreal acquired him from the Vancouver Canucks on July 1, sending Brandon Prust and a 2015 sixth-round pick the other way.

In accordance with league policy, Kassian will be suspended indefinitely without pay until the substance-abuse program's administrators allow him to return to the ice.