Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Connor McDavid suspended for three games

Originally posted on Dose.ca | Last updated Jan 20, 2025 9:45 PM ET

On Saturday night, Connor McDavid completely lost his composure. In a frenzied end to the game between the Canucks and the Oilers, McDavid lost his cool and delivered a violent cross-check to Conor Garland’s face.

He was ejected from the game immediately.

We wondered if the league would impose further penalties, and he finally had a hearing…

And his punishment has been announced: he received a three-game suspension.

The league just made the announcement.

Edmonton’s Connor McDavid has been suspended for three games for cross-checking Vancouver’s Conor Garland. https://t.co/hxR9X8Z2Ml

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) January 20, 2025

In the sequence, Garland was really looking for trouble… but this is obviously not an excuse for McDavid.

Here is his action, for those who missed the moment:

if McDavid is not suspended for this i will have no freaking words #Canucks pic.twitter.com/KOwnLQXIJx

— Lucasparmenter23 (@Lucasparmenter0) January 19, 2025

It should be noted that due to his suspension, McDavid will lose nearly $200,000 in salary. Of course, he’s not exactly feeling sorry for himself… but it’s still a significant amount.

Additionally, in the same game, Tyler Myers was also seen making a pretty questionable move against Evan Bouchard…

And he received the same penalty as McDavid: a three-game suspension.

Tyler Myers has been suspended for three games for cross-checking Evan Bouchard. pic.twitter.com/kmta8VEVpO

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) January 20, 2025

You can feel that the league wanted to send a clear message to tighten up on actions that have no place… and suspending the face of the league for three games is a good way to convey that message.

No one is above the rules, after all.

Extension

Let’s remember that this is not McDavid’s first suspension in his career. The Oilers forward received a two-game suspension in 2019 for an illegal headshot.

He is not known as a dirty player… but against the Canucks on Saturday night, he really lost his cool.

This article first appeared on Dose.ca and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: