League investigating Senators’ Nick Cousins for Game 3 warm-up antics

The video posted by Elliotte Friedman on social media shows Cousins shooting a puck at Stolarz during the pre-game warm-up. While pre-game antics have been a staple in hockey since its inception, the NHL has attempted to crack down on the incidents. We’ve come a long way from the days of line brawls during the warm-up, and the NHL doesn’t want to face the backlash of that returning.

It’s a difficult situation for the NHL. They don’t send their officials on the ice before the game, as it would be an added responsibility for them to patrol the red line for 15 minutes before the game. The officials use that time to prepare for their games, as they are the only individuals who skate for the entire 60 minutes and overtime if needed.

According to Friedman, the NHL warned the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues about a stand-off between Joel Hofer and Mark Scheifele during warm-up. If the NHL clamped down on that non-physical altercation, they could come down harder on Cousins for firing a puck at a defenseless goaltender.

Senators could see weakness in Anthony Stolarz

The Senators might have seen cracks forming in Stolarz with his abuse of Ridley Greig in Game 2. Greig slid into Stolarz during Game 1, and then Stolarz had an altercation with him in front of the net in the following game. It’s likely that Cousins saw those incidents and attempted to get in the head of his former teammate.

Cousins and Stolarz won a Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers in 2024. However, Florida could not afford to keep all its players from that run, so Cousins and Stolarz joined their division rivals. It’s another classic hockey story: teammates share a special moment that turns into hate less than 12 months later.

Shooting a puck at another player during pre-game warm-up seems silly, but it’s an example of something that makes playoff hockey a must-watch.