NHL’s Gary Bettman on Connor McDavid Suspension: Hit to Head ‘Has to Be Dealt With’.

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NHL commissioner Gary Bettman indicated Connor McDavid’s three-game suspension is part of the league’s efforts to crack down on hits to the head.

“I think in terms of supplemental discipline, cross-check to the face or the head has to be dealt with,” Bettman told reporters Thursday (h/t The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith.)

The suspension involved an incident that took place on Jan. 19, when Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland appeared to hold McDavid down during the final 30 seconds of a one-goal game. The Edmonton Oilers captain retaliated by hitting Garland in the face.

McDavid is set to serve the third game of his suspension when the Oilers take on the Buffalo Sabres Saturday at home.

This marks the second time McDavid has been suspended by the league. He was previously assessed a two-game suspension, also for an illegal check to the head, which took place during a February 2019 game against the New York Islanders.

Between the two suspensions, McDavid has forfeited a total of more than $329,000 in missed salary.

As was the case with his 2019 suspension, both the Oilers and McDavid expressed displeasure with the NHL’s recent decision to suspend the star.

The Oilers said in a statement that the franchise was “disappointed” in the NHL’s decision, while McDavid said the incident could have been avoided had referees blown the play dead to penalize Garland when he held McDavid down to the ice.

“The longer it goes, the more you’re thinking there’s going to be something,” McDavid said about the penalty not being called on Garland, per Jamie Umbach of EdmontonOilers.com.

McDavid continued, per Umbach:

“I think every player across the league just wants to see the game called [consistently.] A penalty in the first is a penalty in the third. A penalty in October is a penalty in April. So I think guys just want that standard and that consistency.

“I would say a big part of it is just the consistency, which is tough to ask for. That goes from game to game, ref to ref, so as I said, the refs have a hard job. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the refs and the work that they do. It’s a thankless job. It really is. But with that being said, just call the game [consistent] to start the season.”

Bettman provided his own view on the incident when asked how the NHL analyzed its own officiating.

Per Russo and Smith, Bettman said the officials decided not to whistle down Garland’s play in part because the puck was in the offensive zone for the trailing Oilers:

“Every call is a judgment call, and it’s situational. And I believe the referees in that situation — what was it, 10 seconds left to go? — decided they didn’t want to blow the whistle at that point in time, when two guys were tangled because there were a lot of things that could have happened, which a whistle would have worked at Edmonton’s detriment.

“I’m not endorsing it or not. I’m just simply saying you’ve got to look at the context of the whole thing. I understand the frustration, and it’s something we’re going to continue to monitor.”

McDavid will be eligible to return Monday to face the visiting Seattle Kraken.

Getting McDavid back will be a boost for an team looking to oust the Vegas Golden Knights from the top of the Pacific Division. The Oilers captain has been typically dominant when available, racking 65 points (20 goals, 45 assists) through 43 games to start the season.