Former NHL Goalie Suspended for Attacking Referee After a Goal

PUBLICATION

Liam McCormick
October 26, 2024 (1:17 PM)

SHARE THIS STORY

A crazy scene unfolded in a recent French professional league when former Senators goalie Matthew O'Connor attacked a referee.

After a significant scrum in the crease that blocked the goaltender's ability to make a save, the puck found its way into the net, and the referee actually called a good goal. O'Connor became livid, and started pushing the net to back the referee into the boards. The referee fell over as a mob formed around him, but then it quickly dissipated when more refs arrived.

Former Senators goalie Matthew O'Connor suspended by his team in France for his actions against an official.

"Whether physical or verbal, nothing justifies a violent reaction towards a referee," said the president of the Ducs d'Angers.
- Mikael Lalancette, translated to English

O'Connor was suspended internally by his team, the Ducs d'Angers, instead of the league's as a whole. It's almost certain that any league would issue a harsh suspension to O'Connor for this incident, and given the fact that Angers did not provide a timeline on the suspension, it feels like it could potentially be indefinite. It's a blatant and aggressive lurch at a referee that knocked the official over, which quite frankly should be grounds for expulsion from the league.

Matt O'Connor is a 32 year old goalie from Sault St. Marie, Ontario that's played a full hockey career in several minor leagues and professional leagues. O'Connor made one appearance for the Ottawa Senators when he was 24 in the 2015-16 season, and actually had a decent game with a .912 save percentage. Still, he never found a way back to the NHL, and played out the rest of his career in North America mostly in the ECHL, before moving overseas in 2019.

It's certainly strange to see a team announce an internal suspension with no additional details, so it may not be a good sign for the remainder of O'Connor's career.