Connor McDavid Gets 3-Game Suspension For Nasty Cross-Check

Well, it turns out that being the best hockey player in the National Hockey League doesn't give you as long of a leash as most people thought…

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has been slapped with a three-game suspension for an incident in Saturday night's game against the Vancouver Canucks.

Late in the third period, the Oilers were battling for the tying goal, down 3-2, and McDavid found himself tied up with Vancouver's Conor Garland (Connor/Conor fight!).

Garland was relentless and could have earned himself a penalty or two for how he dealt with McDavid, but the penalty ended up going to No. 97 in white when he unloaded a cross-check straight to the Garland's chops.

Everyone on the ice at the time ended up with a penalty from that with McDavid getting a match penalty for the initial cross-check, which meant he had to chat with the league.

On Monday, the Department of Player Safety announced that McDavid had been dealt a three-game suspension, I think this will be one of the most controversial in quite some time.

Personally, I think it was fair. Three games for a nasty shot like that? I can live with it.

But the problem some people have is that there was no initial call on Garland for all of the grappling that took place before he took a CCM to the chompers.

In fact, Garland's only penalty according to NHL.com was for roughing… against Matias Ekholm, not Connor McDavid.

Still, you don't get carte blanche to cross-check a dude in the face like that if you're the best player in the world, even if you're frustration over a non-call is justified.

McDavid will miss a big game against the impressive Washington Capitals, a rematch against the Vancouver Canucks (kind of seems like the DPOS took this into account), and finally a game against the Buffalo Sabres.

He'll be eligible to return to action on January 27 against the Seattle Kraken.