Brian Burke gives his honest reaction on the three-game suspension of Connor Mcdavid
Former NHL GM Brian Burke is known for his old-school hockey mindset and has said what he thinks on Connor McDavid's three-game suspension for cross-checking Conor Garland during the Edmonton Oilers' game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Speaking on The Sheet Podcast with Jeff Marek, Burke defended the NHL's decision, stating the punishment was both fair and deserved.
I'm being repetitive, but you can't say he's a great player, like I saw Ekholm said - Draisaitl said, «I guess they don't care if the best players play.» Yes, we all want the best players to play. We don't want them to have free license, unlimited freedom to cross check."
- Brian Burke
Burke also referenced comments from Oilers teammates which is including Leon Draisaitl who criticized the suspension by suggesting the league didn't care if its best players were on the ice.
While Burke supported the suspension, he seemed to miss the larger frustration expressed by Oilers fans and McDavid himself.
Many believe McDavid's actions were the result of an accumulated frustration over the inconsistent officiating since the beginning of the season and with Garland harassing McDavid without penalties being called against him.
Brian Burke's history as GM of rival teams like the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs has led some to think of him as biased against the Oilers and fans argue that Burke's comments doesn't understand the real issue of inconsistent officiating.
This incident has restarted debates about how the NHL handles star players, officiating standards and the players discipline across the league.
