The NHL issued a three-game suspension to Edmonton Oilers famous person Connor McDavid this week for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks ahead Conor Garland late of their recreation this weekend.
McDavid was indignant after he had been tackled to the ice and held down by Garland — with no penalty known as — because the Oilers have been making an attempt to tie the sport.
On Tuesday evening, the Oilers determined to situation a really weird — and comparatively pointless — statement regarding the suspension.
“The Oilers group is dissatisfied and we share in our followers’ frustration over the three-game suspension of our captain Connor McDavid. We assist him via this course of and the group and our followers sit up for having him again within the lineup vs. Seattle subsequent week.”
This isn’t the kind of assertion a crew usually makes following a suspension. It nearly looks as if a press release only for the sake of creating a press release and feeding into the followers’ anger.
Particularly when it was a reasonably justified suspension the place McDavid took exception to the dearth of a penalty, took issues into his personal fingers and delivered an inexpensive shot.
There may be additionally not a course of to assist him via. He was punished, he isn’t interesting and he’ll return to the lineup in just a few video games.
There’s a very actual dialogue available relating to the NHL, its officiating and the best way it treats star gamers. Whereas leagues just like the NFL and NBA exit of their strategy to cater to their finest gamers and shield their finest gamers, the NHL tends to do the precise reverse and expects its star gamers to battle via much more. McDavid ought to have drawn a penalty on the play. He ought to in all probability draw extra penalties than he does, and if the NHL cared about highlighting its finest gamers, there can be extra consistency in that space.
The dearth of a penalty, nonetheless, doesn’t give any participant the fitting or freedom to ship a cross-check to an opponent’s face.
He has each proper to be annoyed. The NHL’s star gamers have a proper to be annoyed with how they’re handled. However the suspension is justified.
Regardless of the Oilers’ unusual assertion, McDavid has determined to take a special method. He broke silence on the matter and offered sage advice on the matter — and the Oilers can be sensible to observe go well with.
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