Connor McDavid was handed a three-game suspension for a cross-check on Connor Garland. Many now feel McDavid acted out of frustration, as he doesn’t receive the protection he deserves from officials. His teammate Corey Perry believes the incident was inevitable and took the opportunity to criticize the NHL.
“Why aren’t we protecting the superstars? Why aren’t we?” Perry told Sportsnet.
The cross-check, which occurred in the final moments of the Edmonton Oilers’ loss to the Canucks this past weekend, has sparked a broader conversation about how the NHL handles player safety. Frustration mounted as McDavid was being held down on the ice by Garland, but no penalty was called. Many argue that if officials had made the appropriate call, McDavid likely wouldn’t have resorted to retaliating. Corey Perry and others believe McDavid did nothing wrong by standing up against the abuse he faces every game.
“You have to protect yourself,” Perry said to Sportsnet. “Because if you don’t, you’re just going keep getting the shit kicked out of you. They’re just going to keep coming. That is what it comes down to.”
Connor McDavid’s suspension
McDavid has consistently proven he is the best player in the world. According to Sportsnet, no other player spends more time in the offensive zone, yet McDavid ranks only 47th in penalties drawn this season.
“It’s frustrating to watch as a teammate because you see the abuse he takes,” Perry said. “Forty-seventh in the league? Anybody else in the league that stuff happens to, it’s a penalty. But because he has the puck so much, (referees) don’t want to call a penalty every time.”
Perry also criticized the NHL for failing to protect skilled players like McDavid.
“Why aren’t we protecting the superstars? Why aren’t we?” Perry asked. “Every other league does it? They protect their superstars.”
He went on to compare McDavid to NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes and NBA legend LeBron James.
“Sure, they’re going to take extra abuse. They’re the superstars. Connor knows that and he doesn’t bitch and complain very often about it,” Perry said. “So we’ll do it for him.”
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