Sirens’ Taylor Girard suspended four games for leaving bench in scrum against Victoire

On Monday, the PWHL Player Safety Committee announced that New York Sirens forward Taylor Girard has been suspended for four games for her actions during Sunday’s game against the Montreal Victoire.

To date, it’s the longest suspension in league history.

The incident happened at the end of Sunday’s Takeover Tour game in Washington, D.C. The Sirens were withstanding a surge from the Victoire in the dying seconds of regulation, with a skirmish starting as the final horn sounded, with New York grabbing a 2-1 win.

As the brawl persisted, with names like Marie-Philip Poulin and Kristyna Kaltounkova being involved, Girard left the bench and knocked down Montreal defender Maggie Flaherty, before everyone piled on the two players.

Among the misconduct penalties handed out across the board, Girard was awarded a 10-minute and a game misconduct for leaving the bench. Per Rule 72.10, the first player to leave the bench illegally to engage in an altercation receives an automatic four-game suspension.

For reference, an NHL player who commits a similar action would receive an automatic 10-game ban, which is equivalent to 12 percent of the regular season. Girard’s four-game suspension is approximately 13 percent of the year.

With the ruling, Girard won’t be able to return until after the Olympic break, when the Sirens take on the Boston Fleet on March 5.

The Macomb, Mich., native has been having a solid start to her season, setting a career high with five goals in 13 games and matching the six points she posted with Boston in the league’s inaugural season.

Prior to the PSC’s recent decision, the longest suspension handed down by the league has been two games. Seattle Torrent defender Aneta Tejralova received that length of punishment late last month for her hit on Sirens forward Sarah Fillier.

The Sirens (7-0-1-5) are second in the PWHL, six points back of the Fleet for first.