Oilers captain McDavid to have hearing with NHL after match penalty for cross-check

NEW YORK – Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid will have a hearing for his cross-check to the head of Vancouver Canucks winger Conor Garland, the league’s Department of Player Safety announced Sunday.

Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers will also have a hearing for cross-checking Edmonton defenceman Evan Bouchard. The league said on social medial that the dates and times of the hearings are yet to be determined.

Both incidents occurred during an ugly melee at the end of the Canucks’ 3-2 win over Edmonton on Saturday in Vancouver.

McDavid was given a match penalty when he slammed his stick into Garland’s head after the players got tangled up with the clock winding down and the Oilers looking for the tying goal.

Myers also received a match penalty when he hit Bouchard in the face with his stick as the Edmonton defenceman approached him.

Every other skater on the ice received a minor penalty for roughing.

A match penalty is given when officials determine a player has intentionally injured — or tried to injure — an opponent. The sanction carries an automatic suspension until the NHL’s commissioner weighs in.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2025.

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