VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Canucks center Ryan Kesler called for Philadelphia Flyers enforcer Jesse Boulerice to receive a 20-game suspension for crosschecking him in the head.

Boulerice faces an automatic review by NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell after he received a match penalty and game misconduct for the incident in the third period of Philadelphia's 8-2 victory in Vancouver on Wednesday night.

On Thursday, Kesler said the punishment should be on par with the 20-game suspension that Flyers rookie Steve Downie received for leaving his feet and delivering a shoulder to the head of Ottawa's Dean McAmmond in the preseason. Downie is now in the minors.

The hit, which left the Senators forward with a concussion, prompted the AHL to suspend Downie for the first month of the season.

Kesler said league officials need to do "something severe enough to scare guys from doing that."

The 23-year-old center practiced Thursday and expects to play Friday when the Canucks face the Oilers in Edmonton. The swelling in Kesler's right lip and jaw had subsided, but he still had some red marks on his face.

He did not receive an X-ray and had no plans to get one.

"I didn't see him coming and he just took my head off," said Kesler. "I think he has a reputation of doing that, so we'll see what happens."

Philadelphia forward Jesse Boulerice was suspended 25 games by the NHL on Friday for striking Vancouver's Ryan Kesler across the face with his stick, the longest single-season ban in league history.