A scrum broke out after the final buzzer in the Vancouver Canucks’ 4-3 win in Game 3 on Sunday, and it led to a controversial incident involving Nikita Zadorov, Carson Soucy, and superstar Connor McDavid.
McDavid was held off the scoresheet for the first time in this year’s playoffs, and as frustration grew, he participated in a slashing battle with Soucy.
After he hit Soucy’s leg with his stick, Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov cross-checked McDavid from behind, and at the same time, Soucy cross-checked him in the face as he was falling.
Soucy was handed a minor penalty for the play, and on Monday, he was handed a one-game suspension from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
The DoPS said it was ’not a hockey play,’ and he will miss Game 5. Nikita Zadorov wasn’t suspended but fined US$5,000 by the NHL for his cross-check.
Although many reacted strongly when the incident happened and asked the NHL to suspend Soucy, it wasn’t just happy faces around the league’s fans when the news broke Monday.
In Game 3 between the Florida Panthers and the Boston Bruins, Panthers’ Sam Bennett sucker punched Brad Marchand.
The Bruins’ captain missed Game 4 due to an injury sustained by Bennett, but the Panthers forward wasn’t handed a suspension for the play, as the DoPS called it a ’hockey play.’
”Talked to several people in the league about the Sam Bennett / Brad Marchand play. The NHL also didn’t see the reverse angle until Sunday, but it didn’t change how Player Safety saw it — not as a sucker punch, but as a hockey play with two players engaged,” ESPN’s Emily Kaplan wrote on X.
On social media, fans were absolutely furious that Soucy got suspended, while Bennett wasn’t. And fans are growing tired of the inconsistency of the DoPS.
”In a vacuum I would understand this. But holy f—k they’ve let so much worse go uncalled,” one said.
”Amazing. The inconsistency is spectacular,” another said.
”I’m confused. We’re suspending for shots to the head again?” a third said.
”This league is a joke, absolutely zero consistency,” another added.
