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Does David Peron deserve a 5-game suspension? 3 NHL incidents that deserved a far harsher punishment
According to NHL insider Elliotte Friedman, David Perron will be headed to New York City to have an in-person hearing for his cross-check to the head of Artem Zub on Saturday Night.
After watching his teammate Dylan Larkin get taken out by a questionable hit in a feisty game between the Detroit Red Wings and Ottawa Senators, Perron pounced on Zub after the whistle.
Interestingly, the 17-year veteran with 803 career penalty minutes will be suspended for the first time and faces at least a five-game ban for his retaliatory actions on Saturday night.
Moreover, Perron's impending suspension will be the 10th sentence handed out by the NHL Department of Player Safety in 2023-24, which has also assessed 15 fines since the start of the season in October.
As vicious as Perron's stick-to-the-head looked, a five-game ban seems harsh. Here are three other incidents from this year that resulted in less than a five-game suspension when it could have been more.
3 NHL incidents that looked worse than David Peron's but were handled lightly
#1, Andrew Magiapane gets 1 game for a neck cross-check to a defenseless player
During the Calgary Flames vs. Seattle Kraken, Andrew Magiapane was assessed a match penalty in the first period for cross-checking a defenseless Jared McCann.
As anyone can see from watching the replays, Magiapane lost the puck when McCann fell to block a shot. Although the two players made contact, Magiapane never lost his balance, using McCann as a buffer from falling to the ice.
After trying to get to the puck, which was under McCann, Magiapane turned and deliberately cross-checked a defenseless player, targeting the head and neck, driving his head into the ice. Surprisingly, the NHL Department of Player Safety issued only a one-day ban despite how bad the incident looked on video.
#2, Connor Clifton was assessed a 2-game NHL suspension for a check to the head
Despite being a tough defender known to collect more than 150 hits in a season, Connor Clifton is 5-foot-11, weighs 190 pounds, and has never been considered a dirty player (just 201 penalty minutes in 257 games).
However, earlier in the 2023-24 season, Clifton received a match penalty and two-game suspension for a hit to the head of New Jersey Devils forward Nico Hischier. Although Clifton attempted to cut his opponent off after a dump-in, he targeted Hischier's upper body for a hit but connected with his head instead.
Naturally, there have been nastier headshots in NHL history. Still, the Department of Player Safety is doing everything possible to protect players in today's game, especially when the head is the first point of contact.
Ultimately, this situation wouldn't have been so bad if Hischier had turned and taken the hit on the back shoulder. Even though it would have still been considered a dangerous hit, Clifton intended to hit the player up high, targeting the shoulder area.
As mentioned, there's been worse, but the NHL went light on this suspension, considering they are trying to eliminate dangerous plays involving anything above the shoulders.
#3, Charlie McAvoy received a 4-game NHL suspension for a check to the head
Unsurprisingly, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy is no stranger to the penalty box and the NHL Department of Player Safety, as a repeat offender with several suspensions in his seven-year career.
Despite being a leader for a top team in the league, McAvoy crosses the line, like earlier this season. He received a four-game suspension when he connected with the head of Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Florida Panthers.
Although he received just four games, the situation could have been a lot worse. Watching the replay, it was clear that McAvoy skated more than ten feet to make contact with Ekman-Larsson. Moreover, his opponent could not absorb a hit once he passed the puck, but that didn't stop McAvoy.
Instead of skating by Ekman-Larsson, McAvoy opted to stick out his shoulder and elbow, which connected with the head. Even though it didn't look as malicious, it's clear that McAvoy set his path and didn't alter his course after the puck left the area he was skating to.
McAvoy intended to land a significant hit on a defenseless player, which resulted in only a four-game ban when it could have been much worse.
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