The NHL issued a three-game suspension to Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid this week for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland late in their game this weekend.
McDavid was angry after he had been tackled to the ice and held down by Garland — with no penalty called — as the Oilers were attempting to tie the game.
On Tuesday night, the Oilers decided to issue a very bizarre — and relatively pointless — statement regarding the suspension.
“The Oilers organization is disappointed and we share in our fans’ frustration over the three-game suspension of our captain Connor McDavid. We support him through this process and the organization and our fans look forward to having him back in the lineup vs. Seattle next week.”
This is not the type of statement a team normally makes following a suspension. It almost seems like a statement just for the sake of making a statement and feeding into the fans’ anger.
Especially when it was a pretty justified suspension where McDavid took exception to the lack of a penalty, took matters into his own hands and delivered a cheap shot.
There is also no longer a process to support him through. He was punished, he is not appealing and he will return to the lineup in a few games.
There is a very real discussion to be had regarding the NHL, its officiating and the way it treats star players. While leagues like the NFL and NBA go out of their way to cater to their best players and protect their best players, the NHL tends to do the exact opposite and expects its star players to fight through even more. McDavid should have drawn a penalty on the play. He should probably draw more penalties than he does, and if the NHL cared about highlighting its best players, there would be more consistency in that area.
The lack of a penalty, however, does not give any player the right or freedom to deliver a cross-check to an opponent’s face.
He has every right to be frustrated. The NHL’s star players have a right to be frustrated with how they are treated. But the suspension is justified.
Despite the Oilers’ strange statement, McDavid has decided to take a different approach. He broke silence on the matter and offered sage advice on the matter — and the Oilers would be wise to follow suit.