Over the weekend, the Edmonton Oilers battled the Vancouver Canucks, and as a result of a vicious cross-check late in the game, captain Connor McDavid was handed a three-game suspension.
Since then, the organization, Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry have all addressed the suspension with complaints, but now, No. 97 has opened up on the situation, unsurprisingly handling it with the class that others in Edmonton didn't.
McDavid didn't necessarily agree with the decision from the NHL's Department of Player Safety, but he did respect it, and now he's looking forward towards his return with the team next week.
During the game, McDavid was being held down by Vancouver's Conor Garland, and while the officials could and should have blown a penalty on the play, the reaction to cross-check someone in the face simply isn't going to be accepted by the league.
Despite all the protests from the Oilers, McDavid's teammates and the media in Edmonton, the league isn't going to change their stance, and now, No. 97 simply has to miss three games, and when he returns, he'll no doubt be much more motivated to make an impact.
With 20 goals and 65 points in 43 games this season, McDavid is off to another incredible start, and while this suspension isn't going to change the way he plays, the Oilers organization and fans are very much hoping that the officials can call him differently on the ice, as players shouldn't be allowed to hold opposing players down like Garland did.
POLL | ||
JANVIER 22 | 291 ANSWERS Connor McDavid Finally Breaks the Silence on His Controversial Three-Game Suspension Should Connor McDavid have been suspended by the NHL? | ||
Yes | 232 | 79.7 % |
No | 59 | 20.3 % |
LIST OF POLLS |
G | A | PTS | ||
Tom Wilson | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
Alexander Ovechkin | - | 3 | 3 | |
Brendan Gallagher | 2 | - | 2 | |
Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Josh Doan | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Pierre-Luc Dubois | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Dylan Guenther | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Victor Hedman | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Jack McBain | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Dylan Strome | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
Jake Guentzel | - | 2 | 2 | |
Brandon Hagel | - | 2 | 2 | |
Michael Carcone | 1 | - | 1 | |
Christian Dvorak | 1 | - | 1 | |
Zemgus Girgensons | 1 | - | 1 | |
Nick Paul | 1 | - | 1 | |
Brayden Point | 1 | - | 1 | |
Cam Atkinson | - | 1 | 1 | |
John Carlson | - | 1 | 1 | |
Nick Desimone | - | 1 | 1 | |
Complete stats |
STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 56 | 39 | 14 | 3 | 81 | |
Capitals | 55 | 36 | 11 | 8 | 80 | |
Oilers | 55 | 34 | 17 | 4 | 72 | |
Stars | 55 | 35 | 18 | 2 | 72 | |
Golden Knights | 56 | 33 | 17 | 6 | 72 | |
Panthers | 57 | 34 | 20 | 3 | 71 | |
Hurricanes | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | |
Wild | 56 | 33 | 19 | 4 | 70 | |
Maple Leafs | 55 | 33 | 20 | 2 | 68 | |
Avalanche | 57 | 33 | 22 | 2 | 68 | |
Conference | Cumulative |