DALLAS — Dallas Stars veteran and captain Jamie Benn has received a two-game suspension after a cross-checking penalty Tuesday night during Game 3 of the Western Conference Final.
Not even two minutes into the home contest against the Vegas Golden Knights, Benn was assessed a five-minute penalty and was then handed a game misconduct, removing him from the rest of the game.
Footage of the incident showed Benn cross-checking Golden Knights' Mark Stone in the head and neck area after Stone was already lying on the ice.
The Stars went on to lose 4-0 to Vegas and are now one loss away from their season being over.
Fans at the American Airlines Center didn't take the loss well.
On Wednesday, Benn attended a player safety hearing and was given the two-game suspension, according to the league.
The league explained its decision in this video.
If the Stars lose the next game, Benn's suspension will carry over to the beginning of the 2023-2024 season. If Dallas comes away with a win on Thursday, the Stars captain will have to sit Game 5 in Vegas.
After not addressing reporters on Tuesday night, Benn spoke with the media on Wednesday afternoon, calling the play "unfortunate."
"I just need to be more responsible with my body and my stick," Benn said. "I put my team in a tough situation. It's pretty unfortunate."
Benn was drafted by the Stars in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft but didn't join the roster until the 2009-2010 season.
Back in February 2023, Benn played in his 1,000th NHL game for the same team.
Benn has been the Stars' captain since 2013.
