EDMONTON 鈥� Vancouver Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy has been suspended one game for a cross-check on Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid.
A skirmish began after the final buzzer sounded in Vancouver's 4-3 victory in Game 3 Sunday after Soucy shoved McDavid behind the Canucks' net and McDavid responded by hitting Soucy's leg with his stick.
Canucks blue liner Nikita Zadorov then cross-checked McDavid from behind, and Soucy cross-checked the Oilers captain in the face as he was falling.
Soucy was handed a minor penalty for the play and the NHL's Department of Player Safety handed down a one-game suspension Monday, saying in a video that the defenceman's actions were "not a hockey play" and deserved additional discipline.
Zadorov was fined US$5,000 by the NHL, the maximum amount under the collective bargaining agreement.
Vancouver leads the best-of-seven second-round series 2-1, with Game 4 set for Tuesday night in Edmonton.
Soucy told reporters Monday that he wasn't trying to injure McDavid on the play.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just an unfortunate incident due to some timing. 鈥� Obviously there wasn鈥檛 intent to get a player up that high," he said before the suspension was announced.
鈥淓motions run high in those scrums at the end of the game.鈥�
Missing game time would be difficult, the 29-year-old defenceman said.
鈥淚t would suck, obviously, at this time, in a tight series like this, in a physical series," Soucy said. "I know guys will step up if that is the case. But it sucks having to watch your team.鈥�
McDavid said Monday he was "feeling great" and didn't want to talk too much about the incident, other than calling it "part of a heated series."
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tough game. They鈥檝e got big d-men. They make it hard on you. They play physical, they play a physical brand of hockey and it鈥檚 fun to be a part of," said the Oilers captain.
"It鈥檚 a fun series to be a part of. Obviously, two Canadian teams going at it, there鈥檚 a lot of passion.鈥�
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 13, 2024.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
