This thought has occurred to me, and honestly is the outcome I am expecting if it is within the rules. Until you mentioned it, I had assumed it wasn't.
I wish all bans were carried over to the regular season but the play-offs were immune. We now have a ridiculous situation where both sides are missing key players and both Stephens AND Bannen decisions were, to be kind, "questionable". If play-offs have to determine who goes up, at least let's...