As the son of a lawyer, I can tell you that there are grounds for a lawsuit both ways. If the NHL allows Perezhogin to play, there's a chance that Stafford (or Cleveland or any number of other litigants, including fans of either/both teams) can file aggrivated assault (both criminal and civil) charges on him. If the NHL decides to uphold the AHL's suspension, Perezhogin can file charges for depriving him of a way of life, or causing him to lose money because that's all he's good for in the US, and the reason for his original visa.
Obviously, Perezhogin's case is the bigger stretch (especially since Perezhogin can always go back to play in Russia and get paid fairly well for it), but where the NHL is, it doesn't make sense to bring upon itself a case of any form. If it allows Perezhogin to play in the NHL, the case going the other way would be against Perezhogin, and not the NHL, and if anybody is to feel the sting, it is Perezhogin himself, who may or may not be liable to pay bail, depending on the judge involved. If he is held without bail (doubtful), he wouldn't be able play, as he would be a guest of the state, at that point (assuming the case is brought to trial in the US, which I'd expect).
Of course, all of that said, I'd assume that Bettman will shelf the entire argument until after the CBA mess is over, which may or may not be before the end of the AHL suspension anyways.
I hope that answers some questions.
~Crazed.
EDIT: Of course, if the NHL allows Perezhogin to play, it must also open the doors to lots of others who are suspended by the AHL, and that creates some problems with some past suspensions, such as those talked about in this thread. It gets ugly pretty quickly, to be quite honest, but that's the way it happens in today's sue-happy society.
EDIT #2: I talked with another lawyer friend of mine, and he says that there are only certain time periods for a case to be brought against Perezhogin. He says that Perezhogin is only liable to be brought up on charges within one year of the incident. Of course, as the incident was late in the year, anything's possible, but that has to be said, too.
