NEW YORK (AFP) - New York Rangers forward Dane Byers was given a one-game ban on Wednesday by the National Hockey League for a fight instigator penalty that also cost coach John Tortorella a fine of 10,000 dollars.

Byers, 23, will lose 2,590 dollars in salary as part of the punishments, which came as a result of actions in Tuesday's 4-1 victory by Vancouver over the visiting Rangers.

Byers, who was handed the instigator penalty with 70 seconds to play, will miss Thursday's game at Edmonton but can return when the Rangers complete their swing through western Canada on Saturday at Calgary.

New York's Marian Gaborik and Vancouver's Ryan Kessler began exchanging punches in the melee, which brought five misconduct penalties and halted the game almost 10 minutes.