The Department of Player Safety issued punishment to Buffalo Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, fining him $5,000 for interference, the maximum allowable financial penalty under the current Collective Bargaining Agreement. This will mark the first time in his young career that Byram has received disciplinary action from the Department of Player Safety.
The play in question took place in Wednesday night’s game against the Ottawa Senators, as Byram delivered a blindside hit to Senators’ forward Angus Crookshank. Byram was assessed a two-minute minor penalty on the play for interference, and Crookshank was able to return to the contest.
Luckily for the organization, the Department of Player Safety did not choose to suspend Byram, allowing the team to keep him in the lineup for the rest of the regular season. Since acquiring Byram from the Colorado Avalanche at this year’s trade deadline, Byram has scored three goals and six points in 10 games, averaging just over 23 minutes of ice time per game.
Unfortunately, although the team got off to a 4-2-0 start with Byram in the lineup, it has only managed a 1-3-0 record in its last four, dropping further down in the Eastern Conference wild-card standings. Nevertheless, with a positive showing in his first few games with the organization, Buffalo will be eager for a full year of Byram next season.
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