While the NHL was quick to justify Bobby McMann’s suspension, the lack of discipline for the dangerous knee-on-knee hit that started the scrum has left many questioning the league’s consistency.
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday that it has suspended Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann for one game following his high stick on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Below is a transcript of the Department’s explanation:
“Monday night in Toronto, Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann was assessed a match penalty for high-sticking Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand.
“As the video shows, McMann lifts his stick over his head to move it away from an approaching linesperson. After being shoved by Bjorkstrand, McMann brings the raised stick downwards towards Bjorkstrand from a dangerous height, striking him in the head with sufficient force to merit supplemental discipline. This is high sticking.
“It is important to note that this is not the typical motion of a player merely bringing a raised stick down to the ice and accidentally making contact with an opponent. This is also not a situation where a player simply loses control of his stick, or where an off-balance player is careless in an attempt to steady himself. McMann is in full control of both his stick and his own body at all times during this play, and simply must display more control to ensure his stick does not directly strike his opponent's head in this situation.
“To summarize, this is high sticking. McMann has been neither fined nor suspended previously during his 169-game NHL career. The Department of Player Safety has suspended Bobby McMann for one game.”
Disciplinary rulings can be complex, and it is difficult to argue with a one-game suspension based on the evidence provided. However, it remains unclear exactly how the Department determines intent in these specific scenarios.
What fans of the Leafs may find troubling is the context of how this incident began. The play was part of a scrum that developed after Gage Goncalves hit Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis with a knee-on-knee collision.
Mermis was injured and unable to finish the game. Despite receiving five minutes and a game misconduct, the NHL did not fine Goncalves for the play. The Lightning played the very next night and Goncalves was not in the lineup, though the reason remains unclear.
McMann will miss the lineup when the club hosts Macklin Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.
A match penalty typically triggers an automatic review, so McMann’s one-game ban is not surprising. However, the fact that Goncalves avoided even a fine raises questions about consistency in player safety rulings.
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