Soucy suspended 1 game, Canucks teammate Zadorov fined for cross-checking Oilers' McDavid | CBC Sports - Action News
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Hockey

Soucy suspended 1 game, Canucks teammate Zadorov fined for cross-checking Oilers' McDavid

The NHL on Monday suspended Vancouver Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy one game for his cross-check to the face of Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid at the end of Game 3 of their opening round Stanley Cup playoff series on Sunday night.

Incident occurred after Vancouver's Game 3 win on Sunday night in Edmonton

An Oilers player turns to his right to say something to NHL referee during stop in play of a May 12, 2024 Stanley Cup playoff game against the Vancouver Canucks in Edmonton.
After the Oilers' Connor McDavid, pictured, two-handed Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy with his stick after Sunday night's game in Edmonton, he was cross-checked from behind by Vancouver blue-liner Nikita Zadorov and in the face by Soucy, who was subsequently barred one game. (Jason Franson/Canadian Press)

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 $5,000 US 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 at 9:30 p.m. ET.

Soucy told reporters Monday he wasn't trying to injure McDavid.

"It's just an unfortunate incident due to some timing. Obviously there wasn't intent to get a player up that high," he said before the suspension was announced.

'It sucks having to watch your team'

"Emotions run high in those scrums at the end of the game."

Missing game time would be difficult, the 29-year-old defenceman said.

"It 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."

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."

"It's a tough game. They've got big d-men. They make it hard on you. They play physical, they play a physical brand of hockey and it's fun to be a part of," said McDavid.

"It's a fun series to be a part of. Obviously, two Canadian teams going at it, there's a lot of passion."

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