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Oilers Veteran Claims NHL Dropped Ball with McDavid Call

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Jim Parsons | Last updated Jan 21, 2025 12:11 PM ET

Edmonton Oilers’ forward Corey Perry has sparked debate with his recent comments following news that Connor McDavid has been suspended for three games by the NHL Department of Player Safety. The Oilers captain was given three games for a crosscheck on Conor Garland and the reactions are polarizing, with many saying the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. Perry is among them.

In a recent post by Sportnet’s Mark Spector, Perry claimed the NHL has done an absolutely brutal job of protecting its top players. “Why aren’t we protecting the superstars? Every other league does it – Mahomes, Lebron… They protect their superstars,” said Perry.

Perry’s comments have caused a stir for a couple of reasons. First, he’s right. The NHL doesn’t do a good job of protecting its top players. Oilers Now host Bob Stauffer lost his cool on his show on Monday and tweeted the following, “The NFL gets it. The NHL doesn’t [get] it. The NFL protects their stars (the QB’s). The NHL wants their stars to play through the “crap”. All the while benefitting from record Revenues driven by… you guessed it…”

Second, because Perry has quite the reputation in the NHL as a pot-stirrer and a pest, it feels a bit ironic that he’s the player now standing up for the stars — many of whom he made a career out of putting on tilt.

Does the NHL Let Their Stars Get Abused?

Neither Perry nor Stauffer are trying to excuse the crosscheck McDavid delivered on Garland. What they’re both arguing, as have others like Ryan Whitney on the Morning Cuppa Coffee on Tuesday, was that if the officials in that game on Saturday had simply called the clear penalty on Garland, McDavid wouldn’t have hit Garland. Had the refs not allowed the liberties to be taken with one of the best players in the league, that scrum at the end of the game doesn’t happen either.

Stauffer also tweeted, “No one can accuse the NHL of protecting their stars. The @EdmontonOilers Connor McDavid currently sits 197th in penalties drawn/per 60 at 0.89 (min. 10 GP).” That is wild, when you look at it.

Whitney argued that McDavid can and probably should draw five penalties a game. That he’s 197th is beyond ridiculous. Sid Seixeiro tweeted, “Connor McDavid’s the best player in the world. If the refs aren’t going to stop this from happening I’m fine with how 97 reacted. 100% fine with it.”

NHL Took McDavid Out of Canucks Rematch and Against Ovechkin

McDavid’s suspension has reignited discussions on whether the NHL should simply suspend McDavid for a game. It would have cost the league money because the McDavid versus Alex Ovechkin matchup on Tuesday now won’t happen. That’s on McDavid. Now, the rematch with the Canucks won’t include McDavid either. That will drive fans away.

Some are suggesting McDavid should respond by pulling himself from the NHL’s request for his time. More than one fan on social media have suggested it’s time for McDavid to stop attending NHL media tours, All-Star games, and the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. He’s being used to promote the game, but the game is taking $200K out of his pocket with a stiff suspension after he was bearhugged for over 10 seconds.

Perry’s remarks are the latest in a series of opinions on McDavid’s suspension. Is he right? Or, is this just a teammate standing up for his captain? Edmonton Journal’s Terry Jones tweeted, “McDavid suspension could a be a good thing.” He added, “Massive reaction around sports world paints NHL as a joke. Owners gotta be pissed. Firings. Officiating expose. Protecting stars. Possible positive fallout. That stat of No. 97 being the 197th-placed player in drawing penalties says it all.”

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

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