Connor McDavid’s second NHL suspension is almost certainly coming.
The Edmonton Oilers captain was assessed a match penalty for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland in the dying seconds of a 3-2 road loss Saturday. A match penalty comes with an automatic suspension pending a review by the commissioner.
McDavid and Garland got tangled up in the high slot for roughly 15 seconds, a wrestling match where the tail end featured the latter holding and pinning the former. McDavid finally got off the ice and contacted Garland’s head with his stick. He was sent to the Oilers dressing room at 19:57 of the third period.
Connor McDavid was issued a match penalty on this play for cross-checking Conor Garland. pic.twitter.com/sB2Gpb3xAA
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 19, 2025
“Connor gets frustrated, and he gets his stick up,” Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch told reporters in Vancouver. “He’s frustrated because we’re down one goal and the best player in the league is getting held for 15 seconds. There’s frustration that that’s allowed to happen.”
Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers also received a match penalty for cross-checking Oilers blueliner Evan Bouchard in the face moments later in the aftermath of the McDavid-Garland incident.
McDavid had an assist in the loss and sits fourth in NHL scoring with 65 points. The 28-year-old is a five-time scoring champion and three-time MVP.
The only suspension of McDavid’s 687-game career was the result of an illegal check to the head on New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy in February 2019.
McDavid avoided any supplemental discipline for an unpenalized hit on Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Johansson late in the second period of Wednesday’s 5-3 win. McDavid’s arm hit Johansson’s face after he appeared to move it ever so slightly at the last instant as he skated by.
McDavid maintained to TNT in a postgame interview that the contact was unintentional, and he wasn’t trying to hurt Johansson. Johansson left the game and hasn’t played since.
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(Photo: Bob Frid / Imagn Images)
