The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced Tuesday that Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann will have a hearing following a high-stick on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand.
McMann’s stick came down on the Lightning forward, and he was immediately issued a match penalty.
“That’s a tough one. It really is. I mean, I got to look at it more closely, which I didn’t,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said following the Leafs’ 2-0 win against Tampa. “From our view on the bench, I couldn’t really see it too well. So I’ll take a look at it; I had a tough time with that, to be honest with you.”
It is rare for a hearing not to result in a suspension of some kind.
The infraction occurred during a larger scrum that saw Gage Goncalves receive a five-minute major and a game misconduct for kneeing Maple Leafs defenseman Dakota Mermis. Mermis left the game and did not return; the Leafs stated he would need further evaluation to determine the extent of the injury.
McMann has recorded eight goals and six assists in 29 games this season. He has never been suspended in the NHL, a factor that may influence the length of any potential ban. However, he did receive a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding Anaheim Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov on Jan. 3, 2024. The league reviewed that hit but decided against issuing a suspension or fine.
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