The NHL Department of Player Safety announced on Sunday that they fined Vancouver Canucks’ defenseman Tyler Myers $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for elbowing Columbus Blue Jackets’ forward Sean Kuraly.
The incident occurred midway through the third period of the Blue Jackets’ and Canucks’ Saturday matchup. With the score tied 4-4, Columbus forward Justin Danforth dumped the puck into the Vancouer end, with Kuraly chasing after it. Myers went after Kuraly, turning his back and whipping his elbow into the Blue Jacket forward’s head.
Myers would receive a five-minute major and a game misconduct. The Canucks would kill the penalty and win the game 5-4 in overtime off a Elias Pettersson goal, his 27th of the season. The Canucks came back from a 4-1 deficit in the third period.
Myers was previously suspended three games in March 2012 for bordering Montreal Canadiens forward Scott Gomez. He was also fined $5,000 in January 2016 for cross-checking San Jose Sharks’ forward Tommy Wingles.
The Canucks have been the surprise story through the first half of the 2023-24 regular season, going 33-11-5 with 71 points, first in the Pacific Division and tied for first with the Boston Bruins in the full league standings.
The club is now off for the All-Star break and won’t play again until Tuesday, Feb. 6 when they travel south to face the Carolina Hurricanes, followed by a road game against the Bruins on Feb. 8 and a Feb. 10 matchup against the Detroit Red Wings.
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