Soucy to have phone hearing for cross-check on McDavid; Zadorov fined
Published
Vancouver Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy will have a hearing Monday with the league's department of player safety for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid at the end of Game 3 on Sunday.
The incident occurred in the seconds after the final whistle of Game 3, with Soucy's cross-check landing on the face of McDavid.
As the buzzer sounded on a 4-3 Canucks win Sunday, Soucy shoved McDavid behind the net. The Oilers captain responded with a slash on Soucy, Canucks blueliner Nikita Zadorov then cross-checked McDavid towards Soucy, whose cross-check made contact with McDavid's face as he fell forward.
Zadorov received a $5,000 fine for his cross-check on Monday - the maximum allowable under the CBA.
Soucy received a minor penalty for the cross-check at the end of Game 3, though no time remained on the clock. The 29-year-old defenceman has four assists in nine games this postseason after recording two goals and six points in 40 games during the regular season.
TSN Director of scouting Craig Button said Sunday there "needs to be a suspension" on the play.
"It's not a hockey play. It's at the end of the game, and this is one where the department of player safety has to suspend Carson Soucy," Button said. "If they don't, it's a failure of justice at implementing what is necessary in the game to make sure these types of plays don't happen. Anything less than that is unacceptable."
McDavid, by his standards, has largely been held in check by the Canucks in the second round, owning a goal and two assists through three games. He had a goal and 14 points in five games in the first-round against the Los Angeles Kings.
Game 4 is set for Tuesday in Edmonton with the Canucks leading the second-round series 2-1.