“It’s illegal”: P.K. Subban doesn’t mince words while addressing Connor McDavid’s ‘unacceptable’ 3-game suspension

On Monday, it was announced that Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid would be suspended for three games for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland on Saturday.

With less than a minute left in the game, the Oilers pulled the goalie as they were down 3-2 pushing to tie the game with the extra attacker. Garland held and interfered with McDavid for almost 15 seconds as the clock ran down. Once a frustrated McDavid got to his feet, he cross-checked Garland to the side of the head.

On Tuesday on X, former NHLer P.K. Subban shared his thoughts on the play and his displeasure with the officiating.

"How the f*** does Connor McDavid get suspended for three games?" Subban said. "Like, what the hell was the ref looking at? Like, am I the only person that saw this? Edmonton's down by a goal, pushing to tie it up. Connor McDavid is on the prowl. He's on the attack right now. Everybody is watching him, watching him on the middle of the ice, get pinned down by Connor Garland, let back up, pulled back down. It went on for at least 15 seconds, folks and the ref put his whistle away. What the hell is he watching? Like, what's up with his eyes? This guy needs to start eating carrots or something, contacts, something because he ain't seeing what I'm seeing and what everybody else is seeing."

Subban expressed his feelings on McDavid being suspended and now out of action for three games.

"With 20 seconds left, you got to give Connor McDavid, or any other player in his position, the opportunity to play between the whistles," Subban added. "That's what people pay to see. They didn't pay to watch him get pinned down for 15 seconds and end the end of the game and left and that way, and then get suspended, because he's a human being and he's got emotions, and he reacts to it. We can't afford that. We need our best players on the ice. I am paying to watch Conor McDavid. I get paid to watch these games. I don't want to watch unless he's on the ice. I want to watch him. I'm like every other fan."

Subban backed up McDavid by calling Garland's actions "illegal" and aiming at refs.

"You can't pin somebody down," he said. "You can't do that. It's illegal. So why wasn't it called? Why wasn't the whistleblowing?"

It's hard to disagree Garland should have been penalized for mauling the Oilers captain. However, there's no excuse for a cross-check to the head area, and the NHL is making sure it cracks down on these dangerous plays.

This will be the second suspension for Connor McDavid in his NHL career

This isn't the first time the NHL Department of Player Safety penalized Connor McDavid.

McDavid was suspended for two games during the 2018-19 season for an illegal hit to the head of then-New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy.

His history of supplemental discipline played a role in the length of suspension he received this time.

McDavid is having yet another all-world season, racking up 65 points (20 goals, 45 assists) in just 43 games. The Oilers will desperately miss him.

Edmonton will begin the three-game stint against the Washington Capitals without its captain. The puck drops at 9 p.m. EST at Rogers Place.