2024 Maple Leafs draft pick Sam McCue suspended two games after disrespecting referees

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Graham Montgomery
October 5, 2024 (8:38 PM)

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2024 Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick Sam McCue has been suspended two games from the Ontario Hockey League after a bitter encounter with the referees in his last game.

McCue has been off to a fantastic start to his season, putting up three points, including two goals, in the first three games of the season. Last year he scored well below a point-per-game pace, so if he is able to maintain that level of scoring, that would be a great sign for the prospect's development. Unfortunately though, his last goal will be the last for a few days as he was ejected from the game after getting into a chirping contest with a player from the opposing team. You can see the goal for yourself in the post below.

Shortly following this goal, McCue got into some kind of argument with Brantford Bulldogs forward Calvin Crombie, who was still on the bench. After the chirps continued for a few moments, both players were given 12 penalty minutes each, including matching 10-minute misconducts. With less than 12 minutes left in the game, both players should have gone to the locker room. While Crombie obliged, McCue initially refused to cooperate with the officials, as he attempted to stay in the penalty box instead. As a result, the Ontario Hockey League decided to suspend him for two games following the incident.

Obviously, all players in hockey must respect the on-ice officials. While they often disagree with particular calls, they are part of the game. While an incident like this likely would not result in a suspension at the NHL level, it is important that developmental leagues such as the Ontario Hockey League teach the younger players to respect the officials that way they are better people when they reach higher levels. While McCue has not been a player known to have a bad attitude, he does play with an edge and is a very passionate player. The Maple Leafs surly knew this about him before they selected him in the 2024 draft and as such they likely expected some level of this heading into this season. However, they will want McCue to channel his energy into on-ice results instead of making silly mistakes that lead to suspension like this. McCue's next chance to take the ice will come on October 11th when Owen Sound takes on the Niagara Icedogs. Look for him to respond with a strong game in that one.