Bobby McMann has been called on the carpet by the National Hockey League.
The Maple Leafs winger will have a hearing on Tuesday with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety after he was assessed a match penalty for high-sticking against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the Leafs’ 2-0 victory on Monday night.
McMann brought his stick down on Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand in the third period. On the same stoppage at the three-minute mark, the Leafs’ Dakota Joshua and the Lightning’s Max Crozier engaged in a fight.
McMann has history of suspensions in the NHL, which may or may not play in his favour. Bjorkstrand remained in the game following the incident.
Usually, a hearing results in a suspension.
Following the game, we asked Leafs coach Craig Berube for his opinion on the call. Graham Skilliter and Francis St-Laurent were the referees in the game.
“That’s a tough one, it really is,” Berube said. “I have to look at it more closely. On our view on the bench, I couldn’t really see it too well. But I had a tough time with that, to be honest with you.”
Two choices for Berube
If McMann is suspended, even for one game, his absence would disrupt what has been good play from the Leafs’ third line of Nicolas Roy between Joshua and McMann. The trio has been effective with its collective size and enthusiasm during a recent surge which has seen the Leafs win five of their past seven games.
Berube would have two choices to take the place of McMann. Nick Robertson could get back in after he was a healthy scratch against Tampa Bay.
There’s also Matias Maccelli, who has been a healthy scratch for the past five games and six of the past seven.
Prior to Monday, McMann scored three goals in his previous four games.
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