The Professional Women’s Hockey League handed down 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 during New York’s 2-1 victory over Montreal, with Girard leaving the bench to join a scuffle near the Sirens’ net after the final buzzer.
Video footage captured Girard colliding with Montreal defender Maggie Flaherty from behind, resulting in Flaherty falling to the ice. Following the altercation, Girard was assessed a 20-minute penalty for leaving the bench, while four players from each team received 10-minute misconducts.
According to league regulations, the first player to illegally leave the bench is subject to an automatic four-game suspension. The PWHL Player Safety Committee reviewed the incident and upheld the suspension. This marks the lengthiest suspension in the league’s history, surpassing the previous record of a two-game suspension issued to Seattle defender Aneta Tejralova for a similar offense.
Girard will be ineligible to play until the Sirens face Boston on March 5, marking the team’s second game post the league’s month-long Olympic break. The 27-year-old forward, currently in her third PWHL season and second with the Sirens, ranks second on the team with five goals. Notably, Girard had a clean penalty record this season before accumulating 30 penalty minutes in 13 games, now topping the league in this category.
The altercation occurred during a neutral site game held at the NHL Washington Capitals’ home arena, drawing a crowd of 17,228 spectators. This attendance set a new record for the largest turnout at a professional women’s hockey game in the United States.