Carson Soucy speaks on brutal crosscheck against Connor McDavid

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Liam McCormick
June 18, 2024 (10:31)

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In a recent podcast interview, Canucks defenceman Carson Soucy admitted that he was trying to injure McDavid with his brutal crosscheck in the second round.

On the Cam and Strick Podcast Soucy explained that he was trying to soften up McDavid for the next game, but he didn't mean to go for the face. As soon as it landed, he knew he was being suspended.

As soon as it happened, I was like �Oh Great I'm suspended.' It is unfortunate because obviously I wasn't going for his face, but at the same time it's at the end of the game where you know you're gonna get a win. You wanna just try and basically get a little bit of a lick on their best player. Unfortunately he kind of got folded by Zadorov in the back.

Soucy says cross check contact with McDavid's face was unintentional

Given the way McDavid fell after taking contact from Zadorov in the back, it's understandable that Soucy wasn't trying to make the crosscheck as vicious as it was. Still, it was a tag-team attack on the league's best player for no other reason than trying to injure him for future games - and Soucy's inadvertent contact still deserved a suspension. He did admit that he was trying to injure McDavid.

Soucy actually continued to say he was surprised the suspension was only one game, and he was absolutely correct. For hard contact to the face, the precedent for suspensions is usually more than one game. It seems Soucy lucked out with lenient discipline from Player Safety in the playoffs.

Thankfully, McDavid didn't seem overly shaken up or injured by the contact, and the Oilers still finished off the series with a win.

The Canucks came a long way this season under Coach Rick Tocchet, and they'll likely be back in the playoffs next season along with a renewed rivalry with the Oilers. These two teams could clash for the foreseeable future in the playoffs, and it will always be a great battle to watch. At some point down the road, someone will truly get Soucy back for this awful crosscheck.

Source: Andy Strickland

Carson Soucy breaks down the cross check to Connor McDavid's face

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JUIN 18 \| 246 ANSWERS Carson Soucy speaks on brutal crosscheck against Connor McDavid Do you think Soucy should have been suspended for more than one game?
Yes, one game suspension was nothing	176	71.5 %
No, it was the right punishment	41	16.7 %
He shouldn't have got anything	20	8.1 %
See Results	9	3.7 %
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