Jared McCann gave Lane Lambert and the Seattle Kraken an unwanted issue after a heated exchange with an official near the bench. Marqueur.com
The sequence came with bodies gathering along the boards and emotions running high. McCann was inside the Kraken bench area when a linesman moved directly into the congestion.
What followed is the part that could get another look. McCann appeared to extend his arms and forcefully shove the linesman away from Seattle's bench.
There was no mistaking the frustration in the motion. McCann wasn't simply backing away from the official or trying to create room as the scrum developed.
That distinction matters because contact involving an NHL official carries a different level of scrutiny than the usual pushing and grabbing after a whistle.
The clip shows McCann leaning forward from the bench, making clear contact with both hands and sending the linesman backward before the official turns toward him.
The clip is here: https://x.com/nhl_review/status/2107797599189430592
McCann could now be waiting on the NHL
The next question is whether the league decides the contact crossed its line. McCann could potentially face a fine or other discipline if the NHL determines the shove was deliberate and aggressive.
That's where this becomes more than a routine post-whistle confrontation. Players exchange words with officials constantly, but physically moving one away creates a much different problem.
For Lambert, the timing isn't ideal. Marqueur.com Seattle doesn't want one of its established forwards creating an avoidable availability question over something that happened from the bench.
McCann's reaction also puts the focus on control once the whistle goes. Whatever happened immediately beforehand, reaching toward an official leaves the league with video it can examine frame by frame.
The Kraken will now have to see whether the incident ends with the clip making the rounds or turns into an actual disciplinary matter.
And if the NHL does respond, the message would be straightforward: frustration with officiating can boil over verbally, but aggressive contact with an official is a line players don't want to test.
Should Jared McCann be fined for shoving the linesman?
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