Oilers captain Connor McDavid suspended 3 games for cross-checking Conor Garland in the head

NEW YORK (AP) — Three-time NHL MVP Connor McDavid has been suspended three games for cross-checking Vancouver’s Conor Garland in the head.

The Edmonton Oilers captain had a hearing with the league’s Department of Player Safety on Monday. The suspension was announced shortly after. It was the second suspension of his career after getting two games for an illegal check to the head in 2019.

Late in the teams’ game Saturday night, McDavid and Garland got tangled up for several seconds. McDavid, after getting to his feet, smacked Garland in the side of his head with the shaft of his stick and was thrown out with a match penalty for intent to injure.

McDavid will be ineligible to play in games Tuesday against Washington, Thursday in a rematch with the Canucks and Saturday when the Oilers host Buffalo. He can return next Monday against Seattle.

The second suspension of McDavid’s career will cost him $195,312 in salary. His prior history also includes a $5,000 fine for elbowing in 2021.

McDavid, widely recognized as the best hockey player in the world, won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP for helping the Oilers get to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final before losing by a goal to Florida. He was voted the Hart Trophy as regular-season MVP in 2016-17, 2021 and 2022-23 and led the league in scoring in five of his first nine seasons in the league.

Vancouver defenseman Tyler Myers was also suspended three games for cross-checking Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard in the face during the post-whistle scrum that resulted from McDavid’s interaction with Garland.

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AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL