
Last night Connor McDavid was given a 2 minute minor for a hit to the head committed against New York Islanders defender Nick Leddy. McDavid looked to be a little frustrated after being hauled down in the offensive zone by two Islander players, later that shift seemed to take out his frustration on Nick Leddy.
There was definitely contact with the head. Some fans were saying this doesn’t deserve discipline, Connor didn’t mean to do it. That doesn’t matter, you can’t hit people in the head anymore, it’s not acceptable. If Connor McDavid were to be on the receiving end of that hit, Rig City would be up in arms, taking out there anger on the NHL.
McDavid was handed a 2 game suspension, which he earned. A hit to the head is a hit to the head full stop. No questions asked, the NHL (rightfully so) wants head hits out of the league, just because Connor is a star doesn’t mean he gets a free pass. It will hurt the Oilers for the duration of this suspension but it is for the betterment of the game, in the name of safety. It sucks and it might feel too long, but this is the direction the NHL needs to head, as much as I or Oilers fans don’t like it, we have to accept it.