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Greg Wyshynski
Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid and the NHLPA will not appeal his three-game suspension for a cross-check to the head of Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland, an NHL source told ESPN on Tuesday.
There was buzz around the league Monday night that McDavid might appeal the ban to commissioner Gary Bettman, who would have the final ruling on any reduction of punishment.
Ultimately, McDavid’s camp decided not to appeal, a source told ESPN, with the understanding that the timeline for appeal might not have prevented him from missing the next three games and that Bettman has very rarely adjusted a decision made by the NHL Department of Player Safety.
“I guess we don’t overly care about having our best players in the league in the game,” Oilers center Leon Draisaitl said Tuesday about McDavid’s suspension. “I’ll leave it at that.”
McDavid, who is fourth in the NHL in scoring with 65 points in 43 games, will miss home games against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday, against the Canucks on Thursday and against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday. He will forfeit $195,312.51 in salary, which goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
“It’s a game, you know. It’s a passion, obviously. I don’t think he meant to do that,” Capitals star Alex Ovechkin told reporters when asked about McDavid missing Tuesday’s game. “But sucks for him, good for us. He’s not playing tonight, we’ll take it.”
With less than a minute left in regulation in Saturday night’s game, McDavid and Garland toppled to the ice. As McDavid tried to get back to his skates, Garland held his arm, resulting in McDavid giving him a gloved punch to free himself. As McDavid attempted to return to the play, Garland wrapped his arms around the Edmonton captain to take him to the ice a second time. As Garland continued to obstruct McDavid when both reached their feet, McDavid delivered a stiff cross-check to Garland’s head.
The Department of Player Safety noted that this was not a routine play by McDavid to box out an opponent or gain body position.
“Having just been involved physically with Garland, McDavid retaliates aggressively and intentionally, escalating the altercation by raising his stick significantly and making this contact: a high cross-check that makes direct contact with an opponent’s head with sufficient force to warrant supplemental discipline,” the department said in its suspension video.
McDavid was previously suspended once in his NHL career for an illegal check to the head of the New York Islanders‘ Nick Leddy in February 2019. He was also fined $5,000 in March 2021 for elbowing Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Montreal Canadiens.
Oilers players on Tuesday said they disagreed with the suspension.
Defenseman Mattias Ekholm said the suspension was “way too high” and that it was “mind-blowing” that the NHL Department of Player Safety could arrive at that number.
Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers was also suspended three games for a cross-check to the head of Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard that occurred right after the McDavid incident.
“I think three games is a little too much for either side,” Draisaitl said.
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