As the Philadelphia Flyers coped Tuesday with their fifth NHL suspension of the season, they called up the first player to be punished.
Steve Downie's recall comes one day after the league had warned the Flyers that the continual trips to NHL disciplinarian Colin Campbell could have consequences.

"Colin, (Flyers general manager) Paul (Holmgren) and I had a very candid conversation, and it is our expectation that there shouldn't be need for another one on this subject," Commissioner Gary Bettman told USA TODAY.

Downie, who had received a 20-game suspension in September for a flying check that left the Ottawa Senators' Dean McAmmond with a concussion in a preseason game, essentially will be taking the roster spot of Riley Cote. He's serving three games after being suspended Monday for elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Matt Niskanen on Saturday.

"We wanted to take an extra player on this road trip," Holmgren said in comments recorded on the Flyers' media hotline. "Steve has played very well for the (American Hockey League's Philadelphia) Phantoms of late and was the best guy at this point in time to call up."

Flyers players have received a total of 52 games in suspensions this season for infractions involving blows to the head or checks from behind. The other suspensions:

•Scott Hartnell, two games for checking kneeling Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Alberts into the boards Nov. 26.

•Randy Jones, two games for an Oct. 27 check from behind on Boston's Patrice Bergeron, who remains out.

•Jesse Boulerice, 25 games for an Oct. 10 cross-check to the face of the Vancouver Canucks' Ryan Kesler.

Holmgren has called the incidents unrelated. He said he wants his team to play physical. "But we've got to play within the rules," he said. "This is going to have to stop."

Cote, the Flyers' penalty minutes leader, said Monday that there are no orders to play a rougher style.

"Nobody can say the Flyers sent me out to do that," Cote said. "It was an individual effort on my part, and I made a mistake."

Downie, a first-round pick by the Flyers in 2005, leads the Phantoms with 63 penalty minutes in 13 games. He has a goal and 11 assists.

"He's a smart young man," Holmgren said. "I'm sure he's learned his lesson. … I think he knows the ramifications for when you cross the line, and I'm sure he'll be a good player if he gets a chance to get into the lineup.