The Calgary Flames will be without one of their most reliable players for Tuesday’s game with the Nashville Predators. The National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety has suspended forward Andrew Mangiapane for one game stemming from a match penalty he was given for cross-checking Jared McCann in Saturday’s 6-3 win over the Seattle Kraken.
It’s the first fine or suspension for Mangiapane in his NHL career, which probably helped his case a bit.
In the suspension video, the league accepted Mangiapane’s contention that he lacked intent to drive McCann’s head into the ice, and that he didn’t fully extend his arms or put his full body weight into the check.
“However, Mangiapane is in control throughout this sequence and makes the decision to deliver a reckless cross-check to a player lying vulnerable on the ice, which causes McCann’s head to impact the ice.”
McCann didn’t leave the game following the incident and finished as a regular participant, indicating a lack of injury on the play. Even with the lack of injury and the NHL accepting Mangiapane’s arguments for lack of intent, essentially the NHL’s suspension to Mangiapane is saying “Wow, that was really dangerous and reckless, don’t ever do that again.”
Mangiapane will miss the Flames’ game on Tuesday against Nashville, but he’ll be eligible to return for the Flames’ three-game eastern road swing at the end of the week through Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. It’s the second suspension of the season for the Flames, following Rasmus Andersson’s recent four-game suspension for his check on Columbus’ Patrik Laine.
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