The Professional Women’s Hockey League handed out its most severe suspension to date on Monday, sidelining New York Sirens forward Taylor Girard for four games due to her involvement in an on-ice altercation. The incident occurred at the conclusion of New York’s 2-1 victory over Montreal, with Girard leaving the bench to collide with Montreal defender Maggie Flaherty, resulting in both players being penalized.
As per league regulations, the first player to illegally leave the bench faces an automatic four-game suspension. Following a review by the PWHL Player Safety Committee, the decision to suspend Girard was upheld. This penalty surpasses the previous longest suspension of two games, which was issued to Seattle defender Aneta Tejralova for a similar offense in a previous match against the Sirens.
Girard, a 27-year-old in her third PWHL season and second with the Sirens, will not be eligible to return until the team faces Boston on March 5, marking their second game post the league’s Olympic break. Despite her previous clean record for the season, Girard now leads the PWHL in penalty minutes with 30 in 13 games, ranking second on her team in goals with five.
The altercation occurred during a PWHL game held at the NHL Washington Capitals’ home arena, attracting a record-breaking crowd of 17,228 spectators. This attendance set a new benchmark for professional women’s hockey games in the United States.