The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced on Tuesday that Colorado Avalanche star defender Cale Makar has been suspended one playoff game for interference on Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann. McCann was injured by the hit and is reportedly out for the foreseeable future.
Makar sent Seattle’s 40-goal scorer roughly into the end boards in Monday’s Game Four, whiplashing McCann’s head hard into the glass. McCann needed attention on the ice from the Kraken training staff before heading straight to the locker room.
During the game, Makar was initially issued a five-minute major penalty for the hit but that was controversially downgraded to just a minor by the on-ice officials after a video review.
Colorado’s Cale Makar has been suspended for one playoff game for Interference against Seattle’s Jared McCann. https://t.co/FOhsme51Rf
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 25, 2023
Makar laid the hit on McCann with 11:36 remaining in the first period with the Kraken up 1-0 and the Avs on a power play. Seattle would go on to win the game in overtime and tie the series 2-2 but lose their highest-scoring player in the process.
Makar will miss the crucial Game Five matchup that will determine the new leader in the series due to his actions.
In the NHL’s suspension announcement video, the narrator explains that they deemed McCann in no way eligible to be checked the way he was. That opinion differs from the on-ice officials who determined a puck battle was still ongoing hence why they reduced the original major call.
Makar finishes this hit well outside the allowable window for finishing a check. In addition, it is clear that Makar knows that McCann is not in possession of the puck when he decides to deliver this hit. While we have heard Makar’s assertion that he assumed that the puck would bounce into the corner and the play would continue, the onus is on Makar to ensure this occurs before initiating contact. The result of this play is a body check to a vulnerable player who is not eligible to be hit that causes an injury.
Makar’s suspension is the first supplementary discipline he has faced in his career. He joins Toronto’s Michael Bunting as the two players that have been suspended during this year’s playoffs so far. Leafs forward Sam Lafferty and Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk have also been fined.
Here’s the NHL’s press release:
NEW YORK — Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has been suspended for one game for interference against Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann during Game 4 of the teams’ First Round series in Seattle on Monday, April 24, the National Hockey League’s Department of Player Safety announced today.
The incident occurred at 8:23 of the first period. Makar was assessed a minor penalty for interference.
