Fans irate as Connor McDavid escapes penalty call for closing his hand on puck

NHL fans on social media appeared to be unimpressed with the non-call decision against Connor McDavid’s action of closing his hands on the puck. The incident unfolded in the Edmonton Oilers’ Western Conference clincher against the Dallas Stars on Sunday.

During a play, McDavid caught the puck in mid-air. He didn’t let it go right away; he closed his hands around it, spun to keep it safe, and then released it back into play.

According to NHL rules, if a player catches the puck and skates with it to avoid a check or gain an advantage over his opponent, they will receive a minor penalty for “closing his hands on the puck.” Similarly, if any player picks up the puck off the ice with their hand during gameplay, they will also be given a minor penalty.

NHL fans on X (formerly Twitter) were displeased with the play, with many expressing that Connor McDavid should have been penalized. One commented:

“He gets away with EVERYTHING”

Another fan chimed in and expressed their opinion:

“@NHL not even trying to hide their bias at this point. What a joke”

“Edmonton was penciled in for the finals as soon as game 82 finished,” another wrote.

Here are some of the other top reactions on X:

“Yep and he did EXACTLY what Suter was called for against him with 2 minutes left cross checking a guy multiple times against the boards. Must be nice to have the golden boy,” one user on X wrote.

“Not surprised. And this is why he and his team are so hated around the league,” another tweeted

Connor McDavid on reaching the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals

Connor McDavid accumulated two points, including a stunning goal in the Game 6 win (2-1) over the Dallas Stars on Sunday, to help his team advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

McDavid will be making his debut in the Stanley Cup Finals, marking the first time he will compete at this level since being selected as the first overall pick by the Edmonton Oilers in 2016.

In the post-game media interactions, Connor McDavid said (via USA Today):

“It feels great to be in this position. This was always part of the plan, and it feels good to be here today.”

The Edmonton Oilers will be playing in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2006. Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Florida Panthers takes place on Saturday at the Amerant Bank Arena.