NHL suspends Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar for his Game 4 hit

The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Avalanche star defenseman Cale Makar on Tuesday afternoon.

Makar will be forced to sit out Game 5 of the Avs series with Seattle, after his check injured Kraken forward Jared McCann in Game 4.

Colorado’s Cale Makar has been suspended for one playoff game for Interference against Seattle’s Jared McCann. https://t.co/FOhsme51Rf

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) April 25, 2023

If you click on the link above, it leads to a video from the league, providing an explanation for the suspension.

“It is important to note that McCann is in no way eligible to be checked on this play,” the voice in the video says. “Makar finishes this hit well outside the allowable window for finishing a check.”

Makar, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy last year as the NHL playoffs MVP, has never faced league discipline before. After the game, he made it clear he was not trying to injure McCann.

But the league felt differently, and now the Avs will have to try to win Game 5 without him. The series is currently tied 2-2 after a disappointing OT loss on Monday night. The Avalanche are also missing forward Valeri Nuchushkin, so this Round 1 test just got even more interesting.

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