Department of Player Safety to handle NHL’s discipline calls

The NHL Department of Player Safety will now determine supplemental discipline for players who violate all league rules rather than just those who commit physical infractions, the league told ESPN on Tuesday.

It’s a significant change in protocol for the NHL on fines and suspensions. Since the Department of Player Safety was formed prior to the 2011-12 season, it had been responsible for supplemental discipline for in-game physical fouls that violated NHL rules and/or caused injuries.

Players that violated other league policies — inappropriate language, obscene gestures, abuse of officials and the like — were disciplined by…