The Department of Player Safety is working this holiday, as they’ve issued a pair of fines for actions in last night’s Winnipeg Jets-Columbus Blue Jackets game. Max Domi has been fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct, while Josh Morrissey has earned a $5,000 fine for slashing. Both are the maximum allowable under the CBA.
That’s not all, however, as Ottawa Senators defenseman Nikita Zaitsev has earned a $5,000 fine in his first game back from the COVID protocol for cross-checking Timo Meier of the San Jose Sharks.
Morrissey especially seems lucky to have escaped without a suspension, given the violent slash he gave to Alexandre Texier as an empty-net goal went in. He was given a two-minute minor penalty for the play, but the game was out of reach at that point late in the third period.
Domi meanwhile already received six minutes in penalties during the game, but the league did not reveal what exactly the fine was for. The Blue Jackets forward did cause a scrum to happen after shooting a puck into the net well after the whistle, and attempted to fight an unwilling Evgeny Svechnikov while the linesmen were trying to split them up.
Zaitsev meanwhile cross-checked Meier in the face, though not with the force of some previous incidents that have merited suspensions. He didn’t receive a penalty on the play and Meier did not suffer a serious injury.
It’s becoming the new Jets tradition – crosscheck a guy’s head off, or slash him and try to sever a limb if possible when an ENG goes in against them. At least, you can understand Habs’ fans outrage (which may be renewed now) at Scheifele’s PSA billboards.
If Mitch Marner’s edges weren’t so good, you might have some Maple Leafs fans agreeing with Habs fans on something. link to youtube.com
Jets seemingly don’t like giving up an empty netter.
@Gavin – That reminds me of a line from a well-known movie (to some of us, at least) – “He hates these cans!” Clue for those who might care – Steve Martin starred in this. The only difference here is WPG players won’t be legally allowed to shoot the opposition, so they’re doing almost everything but that.
And, as for “…you might have some Maple Leafs fans agreeing with Habs fans on something.”
“Holy Mackinaw!”, says the HoF-er in TOR! (:-)
So 2 minute penalties are now supplemented with financial penalties too? The league is such a far cry from the good old days.
Why is there not something to address referees completely missing calls? I mean all the video available and you can’t fine a guy for throwing a player into the boards head first because it wasn’t a penalty in the game? Send a message to the ref too. You’re 15’ from the play, why didn’t you call this?