Perhaps Dave Hakstol’s disdainful post-game comments about Cale Makar’s late hit on Jared McCann got through to the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. Makar was given a hearing by the league’s disciplinary arm Tuesday, and he was assessed a one-game suspension.
“It’s a late hit, where the puck is out of play,” Hakstol said after the game. “Canner shoots that puck, it goes immediately out of play, straight up into the netting… I believe the puck is being caught by a fan as Canner is being run into the end wall. So, late hit; really late, no puck in play.”
Hakstol also confirmed that the injury sustained by McCann on the play would keep Seattle’s 40-goal scorer out for at least Game 5, and probably longer.
The fateful hit came about nine minutes into the first period. With the Kraken killing a questionable penalty call on Yanni Gourde, Matty Beniers sprung McCann on a shorthanded breakaway after a stretch pass. McCann got stopped by Alexandar Georgiev, then watched the puck deflect up over the glass for a stoppage. He was paying no attention to Makar and wasn’t bracing for any kind of hit, being that there was simply no reason for him to take contact in that moment. The play was over, and a good three seconds had elapsed since the shot had been taken.
But Makar decided to violently slam McCann into the wall, causing him to hit his head on both the glass and the ice. McCann was down for an extended period, then helped to the bench and down the tunnel.
The on-ice officials didn’t appear to be calling any penalty initially. They then huddled, assessed a five-minute major, and went to the penalty box to review the call. After review, they lowered the penalty to a two-minute minor, a power play on which the Kraken did convert for Daniel Sprong’s goal.
Still, the punishment doled out by the refs was clearly insufficient, considering the damage Makar had done. Good on the Department of Player Safety for looking into it and giving supplementary discipline for Makar’s actions, even if the severity of the sentence is up for debate.
“It is important to note that McCann is in no way eligible to be checked on this play,” the department said in its decision video. “Makar finishes this hit well outside the allowable window for finishing this check. In addition, it is clear that Makar knows McCann is not in possession of the puck when he decides to deliver this hit.”
Makar became the villain in an instant
Makar, the ultra-skilled defenseman, is not known for dirty play or attempting to injure players. In the eyes of Kraken fans, though, he is suddenly public enemy No. 1, made clear by their incessant booing every time Makar touched the puck in Game 4. Heck, at times, the crowd even booed Makar just for stepping onto the ice.
In what had been a relatively tame series through Game 3, Makar’s poor decision turned things in a nasty direction, and we are confident it will continue that way for the remainder.
Ironically, Makar will be back in the lineup just in time for Game 6, the last home game of the series for the Kraken, whose fans will surely be ready to taunt No. 8 at the drop of a hat.
Is one game enough?
If McCann ends up missing the remainder of the series, then a single game for Makar feels light, but there is context to consider. First, Makar has no history of fines or suspensions, which does weigh into disciplinary decisions. Second, the weight of suspending a player for a playoff game is far more significant than doing so in the regular season, so a playoff game is generally viewed as equivalent to two regular-season games.
Given the violent and unnecessary nature of the hit, we would have liked to see a second game handed out to Makar. But the department is also known for its inconsistency, so the fact they gave any kind of suspension should be a small consolation for Kraken fans.
Makar being banished from Game 5 is also a big deal, perhaps even bigger than McCann not being able to participate, at least for that contest. The reigning Norris Trophy winner is one third of Colorado’s three-headed monster, made up of Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen. He had a huge offensive impact on Game 3 and is sure to factor in again when he returns from the timeout turtle. Only having to look out for Colorado’s two dynamic forwards for a game, and not their star blueliner, should make things significantly easier on the defensive side of the puck for Seattle.
Even so, Hakstol and his players would also like to have their top goal scorer for the rest of the series, and that is suddenly looking highly doubtful.
We know these can be highly contentious topics, but what do you think of this outcome, folks? Let us know in the comments (but be nice to each other, please).
Darren Brown
Darren Brown is the Chief Content Officer at soundofhockey.com and the host of the Sound Of Hockey Podcast. He is a member of the PHWA and is also usually SOH’s Twitter intern (but please pretend you don’t know that). Follow him @DarrenFunBrown and @sound_hockey or email darren@soundofhockey.com.
After they messed up the review and called the minor, I’m pleasantly surprised that he got a ban. It was a dirty hit and it’s changed the complexion of the series, but in a weird way losing Canner might help bring out a harder edge to the Kraken.
I still think we can do in 7!
Unfortunately for McCann he doesn’t get to sit out less games with an injury just because it’s the playoffs. I totally understand your reasoning, but being more lenient on the offender doesn’t come close to equaling things out.
Seattle has a huge opportunity tomorrow night to bring it back home for a possible clincher.
It should have been a five and a game at the time of the call. That it wasn’t makes it feel like it should have been at least 2 games, and I would argue longer regardless of his history. Makar’s actions spoke louder than his intent. We won’t know but I doubt Player Safety would give Larsson a game for the same hit on McKinnon.
Big Rigs suspension earlier this year was linked to a major and a game misconduct, that hit was not even as bad as Makar’s hit on McCann
Considering I thought the refs were huddling to present Makar with the Lady Byng award, a one game suspension is a bit of a surprise.
Coming away with the win – in spite of the refs – I’ll take the one game. More would have been fitting, but if Seattle can keep rolling their lines I think they have a real chance to grind down Colorado in Game 5.
Go Kraken!!!
I honestly feel that if Seattle took out one of the Av’s star players Seattle would have gotten the five and player ejection. How does it make any sense that you go from a five to a two call and Makar ends up getting suspended for game 5? What does that say for the Refs accountability on the ice?
I’m more worried about McCann. He looked broken as he was skating off the ice. Glad it got reviewed and there is some retribution. I think whichever way you look at it, it was a dirtbag move from Makar. Especially on a player like McCann who is not known for having a violent or aggressive streak.
I think that a suspension should be as long os the injured player is out plus the standard suspension. Make it a real punishment for the one doing the dirty work. It would definitely curb these dirty hits.
I’ve sometimes wondered about that. It seems great in theory, until your guy catches somebody with an elbow (like Oleksiak did in the Washington game earlier this season), or something like that, and suddenly he’s out for the season. It would make people hate the rule pretty quickly, I think. It’s inherently a rough game, and things happen so fast, so I just think it would backfire and hurt the NHL’s brand in the long run. But, that thought has certainly crossed my mind.
I understand the concern about having a star player suspended for a long time. I believe in this day and age, the players should be more cognizant of what they do and there should be some real ramifications. It would definitely take care of players like Matt Cooke, Raffi Torres, Tom Wilson… But the beat just goes on and the only ones really hurt are the players being targeted and their teams.
Circling back after the series has finished.
@Mike Given Cogliano’s injury could be career ending (at his age it’s reasonable to think a team wouldn’t take the risk on him even if he does fully recover) by your proposed rule would that mean Eberle could never play again?
Eberle’s hit had neither the intent nor the force of Makar’s but so many other factors come into injuries happening and their severity, which is why IMO you shouldn’t factor in an injury into any suspension, it should be based upon the act, not the outcome.
The thing that boggles me most in all this stuff is the NHLPA’s position seems to favour getting offending players back on the ice asap, rather than acting in the interest of player welfare – just why?
Thinking about it still weighs heavy on my heart. It’s difficult to imagine what longstanding impacts this injury may have. My heart goes out to Valerie and all of Jared’s family.
I struggle with wanting to see the Team even play him for the rest of the post-season. I just hope he will be ok.
Obviously a bad look/hit by Makar but considering his rep as the skilled d-man, surprised he was the one dishing it out. Seems like a shallow attempt to swing into the emotions/physicality of the playoffs.
Props to our guys for responding the right way, kept up physicality on their end without running afoul of officials.
If McCann misses game 6 then Makar should have to sit it out as well. McCann is our top goal scorer . The NHL should consider that as well.