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The NHL won’t fine or suspend Jamie McGinn for boarding hit on Aaron Rome

Aaron Rome

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome is attended by trainers after an illegal hit by San Jose Sharks’ Jamie McGinn during the third period of Game 3 of the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs Western Conference final hockey series Friday, May 20, 2011, in San Jose, Calif. McGinn was given a 10 minute major game misconduct penalty. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)

AP

The NHL will not impose supplemental discipline on San Jose Sharks forward Jamie McGinn for boarding Vancouver Canucks defenseman Aaron Rome. That means McGinn won’t be suspended or fined for that hit after his hearing with the league today.

McGinn received a five-minute major penalty and game misconduct for the hit during the game itself, so perhaps the NHL felt that was a sufficient punishment. Many people thought that the major penalty was too harsh a reaction to the hit in the first place, but I’ll leave that debate to the comments.

If nothing else, watching that penalty put the Sharks in a tough position was probably the worst punishment for McGinn. The Canucks scored two power-play goals during that five minute major, turning what has been a one-sided 4-1 game into a 4-3 nail-biter.

Don’t expect to see much of McGinn, anyway.

It wouldn’t be surprising if this is the last we’ll see of McGinn in this year’s playoffs. That boarding penalty is the second time the young forward put the Sharks in a terrible position in just five postseason appearances. You may remember that McGinn received a five-minute major and game misconduct for charging in Game 6 of San Jose’s first round series against the Los Angeles Kings. That penalty happened late in the third period and stretched on into overtime, but the Sharks managed to kill it and win that game.

The Sharks haven’t lost in either of the games that McGinn took such ill-advised bad penalties, but he only played in three of the team’s 10 games since that Game 6 mishap. It would be surprising to see much more of him in this postseason - he’s averaging less than six minutes of ice time in his rare playoff appearances anyway - although Joe points out that McGinn’s departure might open up the door for fellow knucklehead Ben Eager to return. (Perhaps the Sharks have a responsible, NHL-ready forward lurking somewhere among their healthy scratches, though.)

McGinn seems like he could have a solid future with the Sharks, but he’s not earning much trust in his second playoff run with the team.