The NHL has announced that Edmonton Oilers Captain Connor McDavid has been suspended three games for crosschecking Conor Garland in Sunday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid has been suspended for three games for cross-checking Vancouver’s Conor Garland. https://t.co/hxR9X8Z2Ml
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 20, 2025
Reasons for the suspension
The NHL Department of Player Safety (DOPS) released a video explaining each of their decisions on supplemental discipline. In the video linked above, the DOPS uses these arguments to justify the suspension:
- McDavid commits a crosscheck, which is against the rules
- This was not a routine play used to box out an opponent, rather it was retaliatory
- There was sufficient force to warrant supplemental discipline
- The crosscheck was directly to Garland’s head
- McDavid has a history of one suspension and one fine over the course of his career
Reaction and impact
At the end of the day, this was the right call. We wrote about how McDavid’s play in a vacuum was over the line and did warrant a suspension. However, this was a result of an illegal play by Garland to pin McDavid to the ice and continue to hold him for almost 12 full seconds. This resulted in zero discipline on the ice which was understandably frustrating to the Oilers’ captain.
It never should have gotten to this point. The referees should have handled this with a penalty to Garland, plain and simple. McDavid crossed the line, but he shouldn’t have been pushed to the point where that was ever an option.
McDavid being out of the lineup for three games means he’ll miss:
- Tuesday January 21, 2025 vs. Washington Capitals
- Thursday January 23, 2025 vs. Vancouver Canucks
- Saturday January 25, 2025 vs. Buffalo Sabres
All three games are home games, and funnily enough includes a game against the Canucks. McDavid might not be playing, but you can guarantee there will be sparks when those teams meet later this week.
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