NHL makes official ruling on Brad Marchand for shoving an official
Photo credit: NHL
It appears as though the NHL has made its official ruling on the status of Brad Marchand after the Bruins captain shoved a linesman during last night's Game 6.
As they have been doing all series, Brad Marchand and Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi continued to pester each other last night during Game 6. In the first period, as Bertuzzi was attempting to make a line change, Marchand finished a check on him and held him over the Bruins' bench. One of the linesmen came over and separated the two of them and in the process, received some backlash from the Bruins Captain. After Bertuzzi went to the Leafs' bench, Marchand then forcefully shoved the linesman away from him and went off on a change himself.
Typically, this is an automatic game misconduct, according to rule 40.1, but the officials decided not to hand out any discipline to him at the time, although that really shouldn't come as a surprise as one referee was from Boston and one linesman was from Massachusetts.
As per the NHL rulebook, rule 40.1 states, "40.1 Game Misconduct � Any player who deliberately applies physical force in any manner against an official, in any manner attempts to injure an official, physically demeans, or deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall receive a game misconduct penalty."
Not only did Marchand escape a game misconduct, he also avoided any supplemental discipline as the rule also indicates that physical abuse of an official automatically carries a three game suspension at the minimum.
"40.4 Automatic Suspension � Category III � Any player who, by his actions, physically demeans an official or physically threatens an official by (but not limited to) throwing a stick or any other piece of equipment or object at or in the general direction of an official, shooting the puck at or in the general direction of an official, spitting at or in the general direction of an official, or who deliberately applies physical force to an official solely for the purpose of getting free of such an official during or immediately following an altercation shall be suspended for not less than three (3) games."
Considering the NHL is quick to hand out fines to players and coaches for calling out poor officiating in the media, it is quite surprising that Marchand did not even receive a fine for his actions. With all that Marchand has gotten away with, though, and the fact that having him in the lineup draws more eyes to Game 7, it shouldn't come as a surprise.
| POLL | ||
MAI 3 | 1009 ANSWERS NHL makes official ruling on Brad Marchand for shoving an official Should Marchand have received a penalty or supplemental discipline for shoving an official? | ||
| Yes, according to the rules | 909 | 90.1 % |
| No, it wasn't that bad of a push | 100 | 9.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
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