Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid spoke out for the first time since being issued a three-game suspension for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Saturday.
The play occurred at the end of the third period after McDavid took exception to Conor Garland knocking him off the puck and pinning him to the ice. The captain opted to deliver a forceful cross-check when he got back up which resulted in a match-penalty. Seconds later, Vancouver Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers got into an altercation with Evan Bouchard which started with the former delivering a hit on the latter and then both got into a shoving match before Myers gave the cross-check. He too was given a three-game suspension for cross-checking.
Social media was ablaze in the wake of the announcement of the suspensions, with a lot of the frustration stemming from the NHL’s supposed lack of willingness to protect the star players. Fans continued to share their begrudging in the following days, with the Oilers even making a statement on Tuesday to share their support for their captain who opted not to appeal.
McDavid spoke with reporters after Wednesday’s practice and he shared his thoughts on the situation after the dust has settled.
“ I don’t have too much to add. A lot’s been said about it, a lot of people talking about it,” he said. “ The league made their decision. I don’t necessarily agree with it. I’m not saying that there shouldn’t have been any penalty or any suspension or anything like that, maybe it might be a little bit harsh. But you understand their decision and gotta move on.”
The captain is not against the NHL’s choice to suspend him on the play but he felt that the length of the punishment was a bit harsh. Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was given a two-game suspension for a similarly forceful cross-check on Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin during the 2022 Heritage Classic. While both are suspendable plays, one has to wonder why one deserved the extra game over the other.
At the same time, McDavid recognizes that he could have approached his response to Garland at that moment better despite being justifiably upset with the holding and shoving.
“ I’m just trying to tie the game. I’m not really looking to engage with them,” he said. “There’s lots of holding and holding down. He holds my head down for a little bit and stuff like that. But I can’t have that reaction, obviously. I know that, everyone knows that. Not the reaction that I’m proud of or that anyone wants to see out of me. That being said, there’s lots of infractions going on there. Maybe the whole thing is avoided with a blow of the whistle or something like that. But again, I can’t have that reaction.”
You can tell by the latter half of his response that his annoyance is not with the suspension itself but more so with the way plays are being called overall and the inconsistencies with the officiating. This is understandable as the lack of consistent calls throughout the regular season and playoffs has been an issue for several years now. Referees may say they want to avoid making a call that changes the outcome of a critical game, but their lack of calls has just as much of an impact as the ones that actually are.
When asked if the NHL has an issue with obvious infractions not being called in the closing minutes of a game, McDavid agreed that it is a problem that needs to be addressed.
“It certainly seems like that. Certainly seems like that’s the way it’s going,” he said. “ I think everybody has players across the league, not just me, not just guys in this room just want to see the game called. A penalty in the first is a penalty in the third, a penalty in October is a penalty in April. I think guys just want that standard, want that consistency. I would say that’s a big part of it is just the consistency, which is tough to ask for that goes from game to game, ref to ref. The refs have a hard job. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the refs and the work that they do. It’s a thankless job, it really is. But with that being said, just call the game.”
McDavid added that anyone asking for something other than the rulebook to be called would be surprised because it’s something he feels the fans, media, and players want. He certainly has respect for the officiating, but he also believes that if one player or team draws more penalties than others then that’s the way it is.
On that note, McDavid has noticed that his Oilers are drawing fewer penalties this season despite having the lion’s share of puck possession and attacking the net a lot on most nights. He drew the comparison to the NFL where he argued that quarterbacks typically draw more penalties than most because they hold onto the ball more than other positions. While he is unsure why that has become the case, he won’t dwell on it too much because all he can do is keep plugging away at it.
“Obviously I’m not trying to hurt guys,” he said on increased physical play of late. “Every game I go out there, I’m thinking ‘How am I going to score? How am I going to make plays? How am I going to help the team win?’ It’s not, ‘Who am I going to elbow next?’ That’s not who I am. I don’t think anyone here thinks that. So, an unfortunate week.”
McDavid will continue to serve his suspension while the Oilers host the Canucks for their rematch on Thursday. He is eligible to return to the lineup on Monday against the Seattle Kraken.
