Source – Oilers’ Connor McDavid will not appeal 3-game suspension

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 could appeal the ban to commissioner Gary Bettman, who would have the final say on any reduction in punishment.

Ultimately, McDavid’s camp decided not to appeal, a source told ESPN, with the understanding that the appeal timeline may not have prevented him from missing the next three games and that Bettman has very rarely adjusted a decision made by NHL Department of Player Safety.

“I guess we don’t care too much about having our best players in the league in the game,” Oilers center Leon Draisaitl said Tuesday of 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, the Canucks on Thursday and the Buffalo Sabers on Saturday. He forfeits $195,312.51 in salary, which goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

“It’s a game, you know. It’s obviously a passion. I don’t think he intended to do it,” Capitals star Alex Ovechkin told reporters when asked if McDavid missed Tuesday’s game. “But it’s bad for him, good for us. He’s not playing tonight, we’ll take it.”

With less than a minute left in regulation of Saturday night’s game, McDavid and Garland tumbled to the ice. As McDavid tried to get back to his skates, Garland held his arm, resulting in McDavid giving him a gloved slap to free himself. When McDavid tried 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 as 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 take out an opponent or gain body position.

“After being physically engaged by Garland, McDavid aggressively and deliberately retaliates, escalating the altercation by raising his stick significantly and making this contact: a high crosscheck 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 New York Islanders manager Nick Leddy in February 2019. He was also fined $5,000 in March 2021 for elbowing Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Montreal Canadiens.

Oilers players said Tuesday 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 figure.

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.