Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby offered his perspective on Connor McDavid’s three-game suspension for cross-checking Conor Garland during Saturday’s Edmonton-Vancouver clash. Speaking to The Athletic on Monday, Crosby acknowledged McDavid’s actions but framed them within the physical nature of hockey.

Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid has spoken out on the league suspending him for three games after a cross-check to Conor Garland’s head on Saturday evening in a loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Penguins superstar is one of the few who can relate to the amount of attention and abuse McDavid gets on the ice. And this is what he had to say:

This is not the first time that McDavid has faced disciplinary action. He served a two-game suspension in February 2019 for a hit to the head on then-New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy. Additionally, he was fined $5,000 in March 2021.

Fair to say that McDavid, who turns 28 today, has lived up to the hype that preceded him. He belongs in that small class of Canadian hockey superheroes who were already national celebrities by 16: among them Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, Eric Lindros, Sidney Crosby.

Connor McDavid admitted that he's not proud of cross-checking an opponent on the face. But, the Edmonton Oilers captain and three-time Hart Trophy winner said that NHL officials need to be more consistent in the way that they call games.