The incident occurred after McDavid and Garland became entangled in the high slot for about 15 seconds. Frustration boiled over as McDavid wrestled free and delivered a "brutal cross-check," as described by one of the Sportsnet game announcers, that struck Garland in the head, sending him to the ice.

The Oilers captain was given a major penalty in the dying seconds of the team’s 3-2 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. This was due to McDavid cross-checking Canucks forward Conor Garland in the head following a lengthy battle between the two in the middle of the Vancouver zone.

This is not the first time that McDavid has faced disciplinary action. He served a two-game suspension in February 2019 for a hit to the head on then-New York Islanders defenseman Nick Leddy. Additionally, he was fined $5,000 in March 2021.