Exceptional players do not require exceptions to the rules, but this was apparently lost on the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid was issued a three-game suspension for cross-checking Vancouver Canucks forward Conor Garland, and the Oilers’ organization reacted as if it were a grave injustice, rather than a just outcome for a vicious act.

McDavid reportedly did not appeal the suspension, which would’ve dulled the story entirely, but then the Oilers doubled down and released a statement that drew widespread mockery across league circles, to say nothing of the ridicule from rival fans.

It’s not particularly surprising that the Oilers would go to bat for their franchise player, but they didn’t go all-in: if McDavid — and the Oilers, by extension — were this outraged, why wouldn’t they just appeal the outcome? It was pure theatre, rules for thee and not for me, with the idea that McDavid should be above the Department of Player Safety due to his near-singular talent.

McDavid led the NHL in drawn penalties during the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns while finishing fifth with 41 drawn penalties last season. The idea that he’s being unfairly policed this season is also ridiculous, as drawn penalties often fluctuate year-over-year, and it’s often the byproduct of skating through contact. McDavid has proven to be elite at drawing penalties, much like Brad Marchand, Matthew Tkachuk and Brady Tkachuk, so this notion is just silly when he’s merely having a down year in this department.

Another false idea has been propagated in the wake of McDavid’s suspension, a premise which states that the NHL ought to protect McDavid in the same way the NBA allegedly protected LeBron James during his peak, and the same protection the NFL offers Patrick Mahomes. James was the most hated men’s athlete in America, an indictment on our reactionary North American sports culture for the duration of his time with the Miami Heat (2011-2014) because of his ill-advised, televised free agency special — perhaps the lone blemish of his sparkling career. Despite LeBron’s truly singular athletic talents, with an innate ability to get to the rim, he never received an easy whistle during his tenure with the Heat, and public opinion only changed when he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their first-ever NBA title in 2016.

As for Mahomes, he does receive more calls than any quarterback in the NFL, and while grating, he’s also won three titles. Placing McDavid in the same tier as James or Mahomes is a false equivalency borne of the NHL’s relative irrelevance in the North American men’s sports order. McDavid hasn’t won at any level, dating back to the OHL Cup, he never won in the Ontario Hockey League, and he captured the Conn Smythe Trophy despite the fact that the Oilers lost to the Florida Panthers in the Game 7 of last year’s Final. Exceptionalism has been built into his narrative from the outset.

We’re getting away from the point, perhaps: if McDavid and/or the Oilers were this outraged about the suspension, why wouldn’t they appeal it? It’s within his rights, and now the Oilers have just added fuel to the frenzy. A fan tossed a plate of nachos onto the ice during Edmonton’s 3-2 loss to the Washington Capitals and while we’re not clutching our pearls over here in gloomy Toronto, the Oilers are enabling a form of hysteria based on their statement. Why does it read like McDavid is being being persecuted? It’s a fair sanction for an uncharacteristic act from the face of the league, but the Oilers have falsely conflated exceptional talent with an exemption to the rules.