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Craig Berube believes Bobby McMann shouldn’t have been suspended for high-stick on Bjorkstrand

Originally posted on TheLeafsnation | By Alex Hobson | Last updated Dec 10, 2025 12:50 PM ET

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 on Monday night, and while most games between these two teams are high-scoring thrillers, the thrill came in a different form this time.

What started with a questionable knee-on-knee hit by Gage Goncalves on Leafs defenceman Dakota Mermis turned into a scrum near centre ice and ended with a fight between Dakota Joshua of the Leafas and Max Crozier of the Lightning. In the middle of all of that, Leafs forward Bobby McMann became involved in a shoving match with Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand. McMann swung his stick downward and grazed Bjorkstrand’s helmet, which resulted in a match penalty. It offset the five-minute major that Goncalves sustained when he kneed Mermis.

Bobby McMann has been suspended for one game for high-sticking Oliver Bjorkstrand. pic.twitter.com/85puwPxd6g

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 9, 2025

The aftermath of all of this was a one-game suspension for McMann and nothing for Goncalves, and Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was not happy about it.

Craig Berube on Bobby McMann’s suspension: “We lose a guy for probably a month at least. There’s nothing. And that hurt. I thought it was more of him getting bumped and his stick (came up). I know you gotta be in control of your stick, but I don’t think it’s worth a suspension.”

— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) December 10, 2025

McMann has been one of the Maple Leafs’ hottest players in recent weeks and the team will now be without him for Thursday’s home game against the San Jose Sharks. Mermis, meanwhile, will miss a month with a knee injury, as Berube noted, which is another injury on the grocery list the Leafs have had in this young season. Berube’s frustration is warranted due to the lack of consistency by the Department of Player Safety, if nothing else. If you believe it should have been a suspension, fine, but you can understand Berube’s frustration when plays like the clip below are merely a fine.

Jacob Trouba has been fined $5,000 for high-sticking Trent Frederic, via @NHLPlayerSafety pic.twitter.com/rEzeciql3r

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 26, 2023

The Maple Leafs placed Mermis on injured reserve on Wednesday morning and subsequently recalled defenceman Henry Thrun from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL). Thrun has yet to make his NHL debut this season and could see it line up with a date against his former team on Thursday night. The defenceman has three goals and nine points in 19 games with the Marlies this season.

This article first appeared on TheLeafsnation and was syndicated with permission.

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