Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Saturday. Garland grappled with McDavid in the final seconds of Vancouver’s 3-2 win, and McDavid responded by hitting Garland in the face. In the ensuing scrum, Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers also cross-checked Oilers defender Evan Bouchard in the face. Myers will also have a hearing with Player Safety. Both McDavid and Myers received match penalties for their infractions. The date and time of either hearing are yet to be determined – as is whether the hearings will be virtual or in-person, which will change the length of suspension both players will be eligible for.
This news brings a peak to McDavid’s recent violent streak. He gained notoriety after, seemingly, inadvertently elbowing Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Johansson in the teams’ January 15th matchup. Johansson was placed on injured reserve with a concussion the next day. McDavid also earned scour with a high-stick against Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek in Saturday’s game, catching the defender up high after breaking into the zone. McDavid’s match penalty for cross-checking Garland was his first in-game penalty for any of these infractions – and, coupled with a game ejection, earned him a career-high 15 penalty minutes in one game.
It will be hard to determine how long either McDavid or Myers could miss with their looming hearing. Both players committed similar infractions, at the tail-end of an already-won game. But nine other players also received penalties for the late-game scrum, which could lead the league to react lighter to two big pieces of a larger scrum. Alternatively, this will be an opportunity for NHL Player Safety to send a message on stick infractions and headshots across the league, by coming down hard on the face of the NHL.
id give each player 2 games
If both players do not get suspended. The league really needs to offer Parros an in person hearing
Should suspend McDavid from the Four Nations thing given his poor sportsmanship and ahole attitude.
McDavid should have been suspended last week, Clearly the league has different rules for pretty boys!
Don’t forget a blatant high-stick in each of his last two games against the Kings, a blatant elbow to the head of Mikey Anderson, and intentionally injuring Laferriere on an illegal hit to the head. None of which were penalized in any way, during or after the game. So why would he stop!? Maybe this will finally clean some of that up. If I was the NHLPA, I wouldn’t be very happy with the lack of discipline for a player taking games away from other players, no matter his status within the league.
That’s right, I saw the Kings game, And the game against Minne, McDavid should have received a major on the egregious hit on Alex Laferriere. And a major against Johansson, Instead, No penalties, Not even a player safety pow wow.
The NHL will not suspended the league poster child (McJesus)! If anything he’ll need to sign a promissory note saying he’ll be nice!
sad but true.
but for real, he MUST be suspended, at least for 2-3 games,
Garland should have been sent off for interference, the non-call led to both cross checks.
It will be interesting to see if the punishments will be equal