A play near the crease during Tuesday’s game between the Edmonton Oilers and the Colorado Avalanche became controversial after it resulted in an ejection. The incident prompted a discussion about how the contact occurred and whether the call was appropriate.
Many around the league shared their views while the play remained under review. The process eventually led to the NHL’s final decision.
NHL Rescinds Nathan MacKinnon’s Major Penalty in Oilers vs. Avalanche Clash
The NHL has rescinded the major penalty and game misconduct issued to Nathan MacKinnon during Tuesday’s game between the Oilers and Avalanche. The call originally came after MacKinnon collided with Edmonton goaltender Connor Ingram during the second period of the matchup.
On the ice, officials assessed a five-minute major and ejected MacKinnon from the contest following the collision in front of the net. Ingram left the game under concussion protocol after the contact, forcing Edmonton to turn to Tristan Jarry in relief. Colorado then had to continue the game without its top center.
After reviewing the sequence, the league determined that the major penalty should not remain on MacKinnon’s record. The reversal also means the Avalanche forward will not face the automatic suspension rule tied to receiving multiple major penalties and game misconducts in a short period.
The decision also addressed the league’s disciplinary process. Players who accumulate two game misconduct penalties in the physical infractions category within a certain timeframe receive an automatic one-game suspension. By removing the penalty, the league reset MacKinnon’s count in that category.
Later on Thursday, MacKinnon spoke about the league’s decision regarding the penalty.
Denver Post reporter Corey Masisak reported MacKinnon’s explanation of the ruling, noting that “if you get two in a certain amount of games, it’s an automatic suspension. So he’s back to zero for those purposes.”
Former NHL star Wayne Gretzky also weighed in earlier on the broader issue of plays near the crease. He explained that players are often taught from a young age to drive toward the net, which can create difficult situations when collisions occur in tight spaces.
“It’s such a fine line, because we’re taught by the coaches at young age ‘go to the net’ and lot of kid who get criticized, people say well he doesn’t go to the net, he’s timid, he’s kinda scared to get in that tough area,” Gretzky said.
The league’s ruling does not change the result of the game, which ended 4-3 in Edmonton’s favor. MacKinnon still missed the rest of that game after the ejection, and the Avalanche missed out on the two standings points a victory would have provided.
