May 23, 2023; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars left wing Jamie Benn (14) leaves the ice after receiving a game misconnect for a cross check on Vegas Golden Knights right wing Jonathan Marchessault (81) during the first period in game three of the Western Conference Finals of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs-Vegas Golden Knights at Dallas Stars
(New York, NY) — The Dallas Stars will be without their captain for the next two games.
Jamie Benn has been suspended for a cross-checking violation he committed in Game Three of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday night.
Benn was ejected less than two minutes into the game after illegally hitting Knights forward Mark Stone in the the jaw area.
The NHL said the penalty was “simply an unnecessary decision by Benn” and the hit was “delivered with sufficient intent and force to merit supplemental discipline.”
Benn took responsibility for the play, saying it was in the “heat of the moment.”
“That was my first shift of a game on home ice, when you’re pretty jacked up.” he said, via ESPN. “So you want to try and get your game going. Emotions are high, and it’s just an unfortunate play. I put my team in a tough situation, so it’s pretty unfortunate.”
“It didn’t feel good,” Stone, the recipient, told reporters Wednesday. “I think I was more a little bit surprised. It was early in the game, it was my first shift of the game. I didn’t expect to get stomped on like that.”
If the Stars are defeated in Game 4 on Friday night, Benn will have to serve the final game of his suspension on Opening Night for the 2023-24 regular season.
