The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday that Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann will have a hearing following a slashing of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand.
McMann’s stick fell on the Lightning forward, and he was immediately assessed a match penalty.
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“It’s a tough question. It really is. I mean, I had to take a closer look at it, which I didn’t,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said after the Leafs’ 2-0 win over Tampa. “From our vantage point on the bench, I couldn’t really see it very well. So I’ll take a look; I struggled with it, to be honest with you.”
It is rare that a hearing does not result in some sort of suspension.
The infraction occurred during a larger scrimmage in which Gage Goncalves received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for kneeing Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis. Mermis left the game and did not return; the Leafs said he would need further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury.
McMann has eight goals and six assists in 29 games this season. He has never been suspended in the NHL, a factor that could influence the length of a potential ban. However, he received a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for tackling Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov on January 3, 2024. The league reviewed this hit, but decided not to issue a suspension or fine.
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