Canucks’ Soucy has been suspended one game for his cross-check on Oilers’ McDavid

This comes roughly six hours after the department stated they would have a phone hearing for the aforementioned play. In that same statement, they issued a $5,000 fine to Nikita Zadorov for his involvement in the ordeal.

After the final buzzer sounded to conclude Game 3, Soucy and McDavid exchanged displeasantries behind the Canucks’ net. It started with Soucy pushing McDavid back before both players slashed at each other’s legs. While this was happening, Zadorov came up from behind and cross-checked McDavid in the back, and as he fell, Soucy threw a cross-check of his own that hit McDavid in the face.

Soucy was given a two-minute penalty on the play for a cross-check, but the DoPS deemed it worthy of a suspension because they viewed it as “not a hockey play” that occurred well after the whistle was blown and that his stick was raised to an “unacceptably high level.” The nature of the cross-check was certainly dangerous and could have ended much worse for McDavid, so the right call was this action, resulting in a one-game ban as supplemental discipline.

It is certainly up for debate whether or not this should have been a harsher punishment because the league seems to be cracking down on hits to the head (ie: Morgan Rielly’s cross-check on Ridley Greig), but in the end, a suspension is a much better outcome than a slap on the wrist.

Regardless, Soucy has been a factor for Vancouver in this series so far, and his absence will be felt on their end. Having him unavailable for Game 4 tomorrow should give the Oilers a prime opportunity to capitalize on their shorthanded opponent and attempt to even back up the series at two a piece. At the very least, the fireworks are far from over between these two clubs.

Game 4 is set for 7:30 p.m. MDT where you can catch the action on Sportsnet and CBC.