The Edmonton Oilers will have to continue their long climb back into playoff relevancy without captain Connor McDavid, after the offensive dynamo was handed a two-game suspension on Friday.
Much has been said since about whether or not the punishment was just, and you can count Don Cherry among those who believe it was longer than necessary.
“I thought it should have been one [game],” Cherry said during Hockey Night in Canada‘s Coach’s Corner segment on Saturday. “He hardly touched the guy — he did catch him a little bit in the head, so one game. Sheriff Parros, I feel sorry for him — he’s got to give him two because he is McDavid.”
McDavid was handed the two-game ban after connecting with the head of New York Islanders defender Nick Leddy on Thursday. The reigning Art Ross Trophy winner wasn’t pleased with the decision handed down by the Department of Player Safety either.
“I thought I raised some good points about the play,” McDavid said of his hearing, according to Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. “But a lot of times, they already have their minds made up. They don’t really care what you have to say.”
Edmonton plays the first of its two games without McDavid on Saturday night when it hosts the Anaheim Ducks.
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