Canucks' Micheal Ferland fined for spearing Wild's Ryan Hartman
On Monday, the NHL announced that the league fined Vancouver Canucks forward Micheal Ferland $5,000 for spearing Minnesota Wild winger Ryan Hartman in the third period of Sunday's Stanley Cup qualifiers game.
With under 11 minutes remaining in the contest, Ferland found himself in front of the Minnesota bench. Luke Kunin of the Wild appeared to purposely grab Ferland's stick, and Ferland responded with the spear on Hartman that earned him a penalty and fine.
$5,000 is the maximum amount a player can be fined per the collective bargaining agreement between the league and NHL Players' Association. Kunin received a $1,000 fine for his part in the affair.
As ESPN's Greg Wyshynski wrote, the NHL Department of Player Safety has a history of handing out fines instead of suspensions for spearing incidents. The league is also keen on avoiding suspensions for any player during the postseason.
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