The Professional Women’s Hockey League has handed down its most severe suspension to date, imposing a four-game ban on New York Sirens forward Taylor Girard for leaving the bench to participate in a post-game altercation. The incident occurred following New York’s 2-1 victory over Montreal, with Girard colliding with Montreal defender Maggie Flaherty. Both teams saw multiple players receive 10-minute misconducts, but Girard was singled out for an additional 20-minute penalty for the bench violation.
According to league regulations, the first player who illegally leaves the bench is subject to an automatic four-game suspension. The decision was confirmed following a review by the PWHL Player Safety Committee. This suspension surpasses the previous league record of a two-game ban given to Seattle defender Aneta Tejralova for a similar offense against the Sirens in the past.
Girard will be sidelined until New York’s game against Boston on March 5, marking her return after the league’s Olympic break. The 27-year-old, in her third PWHL season and second with the Sirens, was traded from Boston a year ago. Despite being a key contributor with five goals this season, Girard now leads the league in penalty minutes with 30 in 13 games, having been penalty-free until this incident.
The altercation occurred during a PWHL game hosted at the NHL Washington Capitals’ arena, drawing a record-breaking crowd of 17,228 spectators – the largest attendance for a professional women’s hockey game in the United States.