NHL decision on Brad Marchand leaves fans boiling

The NHL had a chance to send a clear message about head contact. Instead, it delivered yet another decision that left fans shaking their heads.

Despite widespread expectation that Brad Marchand would at least receive a hearing, the league has decided NOT to suspend the Florida Panthers forward for his elbow to the head of Montreal Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson during overtime on Tuesday night. Not even a phone call.

Insider Elliotte Friedman admitted he was surprised by the outcome, especially given the point of contact.

“I admit I’m surprised,” Friedman said. “I thought there would be [a hearing] for the contact to the head.”

So why nothing from the Department of Player Safety?

According to Friedman, the NHL’s reasoning appears to come down to context and technicalities. The league viewed the incident as a penalty that was properly handled on the ice, roughing, two minutes, end of story. No supplemental discipline required.

And it could be that Marchand’s elbow was reportedly low and tucked, not extended outward, while Matheson was already leaning low toward the ice. In the league’s eyes, that combination reduced the severity enough to avoid further punishment.

And that’s where the controversy really begins.

To many fans, players, and analysts, the result feels wildly inconsistent with how head contact is supposedly being policed. The hit occurred in overtime. It involved direct contact to the head. It came from a player with a long, well-documented disciplinary history. Yet somehow, it doesn’t rise to the level of a hearing?

The NHL insists player safety is a priority. But nights like this make it harder and harder to believe there’s a clear standard being applied.

Penalty on the ice or not, fans were expecting accountability. What they got instead was another reminder that when it comes to supplemental discipline, consistency remains optional.