General Fines and Suspensions thread (2020-21)
- Thread starter uncleben
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uncleben
Global Moderator
Full disclosure, I wanted to make this thread largely for a place to gripe about something the Department of Player Safety tries to pull every year, and figured a general thread might help service that.
As per the NHL CBA, 18.7 Fines. (b), a fine may be in an amount up to 50% of a player's (averaged) salary, divided by the number of days in the regular season, but in no event may it exceed $10,000 for a first offence (or $15,000 for any subsequent fine within the rolling year).
I.e., the max fine the League can give is $10,000/$15,000 depending on if they are a repeat offender or not.
With that said, the NHL DoPS then goes on to contradict itself by publishing articles such as the article announcing Greg Pateryn's fine (here), wherein they say Pateryn was fined the "maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement", $5,000.
$5,000 is the maximum the League can hand out without having to offer a telephone hearing (CBA 18.7 (d)).
It is the maximum they can hand out without having to do any extra work.
Offering a telephone hearing would allow the player to refute the case, and the DoPS would have to prove their point and counter argue. In this instance, they can simply slap the fine down without appeal, pat themselves on the back and point to how strict and safety-conscience they are being by generating "maximum" fines.
Like, giving them $5000 fines is one thing, but to then state that it is the "max allowable" in the press release is misleading at best. And this has been happening for at least the past 5 years that I've been following it; I highly doubt it's just one intern or NHL writer misunderstanding the situation and publishing it incorrectly.
The following lists the players fined $5,000 and listed as maximum fines, alongside what their true maximum should be:
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As per the NHL CBA, 18.7 Fines. (b), a fine may be in an amount up to 50% of a player's (averaged) salary, divided by the number of days in the regular season, but in no event may it exceed $10,000 for a first offence (or $15,000 for any subsequent fine within the rolling year).
I.e., the max fine the League can give is $10,000/$15,000 depending on if they are a repeat offender or not.
With that said, the NHL DoPS then goes on to contradict itself by publishing articles such as the article announcing Greg Pateryn's fine (here), wherein they say Pateryn was fined the "maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement", $5,000.
$5,000 is the maximum the League can hand out without having to offer a telephone hearing (CBA 18.7 (d)).
It is the maximum they can hand out without having to do any extra work.
Offering a telephone hearing would allow the player to refute the case, and the DoPS would have to prove their point and counter argue. In this instance, they can simply slap the fine down without appeal, pat themselves on the back and point to how strict and safety-conscience they are being by generating "maximum" fines.
Like, giving them $5000 fines is one thing, but to then state that it is the "max allowable" in the press release is misleading at best. And this has been happening for at least the past 5 years that I've been following it; I highly doubt it's just one intern or NHL writer misunderstanding the situation and publishing it incorrectly.
The following lists the players fined $5,000 and listed as maximum fines, alongside what their true maximum should be:
| Player | Incongruity |
| Greg Pateryn | $5,000.00 vs. $9,698.28 |
| Nick Bjugstad | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Radim Simek | $5,000.00 vs. $9,698.28 |
| Antoine Roussel | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Nino Niederreiter | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Alex Ovechkin | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Brett Pesce | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Nick Schmaltz | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Connor McDavid | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Nathan MacKinnon | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Zach Hyman | $5,000.00 vs. $9,698.28 |
| Tom Wilson | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Brandon Montour | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| MacKenzie Weegar | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Ryan Hartman | $5,000.00 vs. $8,189.66 |
| Jordan Staal | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Anthony Mantha | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Shea Weber | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Ryan McDonagh | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Jake DeBrusk | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| David Krejci | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Nick Ritchie | $5,000.00 vs. $6,460.88 |
| Mathew Barzal | $5,000.00 vs. $10,000.00 |
| Shea Weber | $5,000.00 vs. $15,000.00 |
TOTAL: | $120,000.00 vs. $238,745.38 |
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uncleben
Global Moderator
TheDawnOfANewTage
Dahlin, it’ll all be fine
- Dec 17, 2018
- 13,050
- 19,259
Aube-Kubel shoulda gotten a game at least. Just leaps up and puts his forearm/elbow into Dahlin for no reason, it’s suspect as hell. At best it was an incredibly awkward way to try to get around a guy- at worst it’s targeting a dude with 2 minutes left in the game. The league should have an interest in protecting all it’s players, but it’s especially glaring when it’s a young star player who missed time with a concussion on a similar elbow to the head last year. Why does the league not want to take a stand on this? There were plenty of clean hits last night- and there was one instance that clearly crossed the line. Let’s actually punish that one infraction.
zenthusiast
cybersabre his prophet
- Oct 20, 2009
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uncleben
Global Moderator
Capitals fined $100,000 by NHL for COVID-19 violations
Capitals fined for player's violating League protocols, socializing without wearing masks.
Capitals fined for player's violating League protocols, socializing without wearing masks.
mouser
Business of Hockey
The problem with trying to change now to issues fines greater then $5k is that it breaks with year and years of past precedent and thus has a high risk of losing to a PA grievance challenge.
Even though the CBA technically says it can be done, for legal and practical purposes they can’t in my opinion. Or at least cannot do so without the NHL proactively declaring at the start of a season they’re going to increase the fine amounts, which again could quickly end up in a grievance with the PA.
uncleben
Global Moderator
They started the season by giving McCann a $10,000 fine (his true max)
They certainly can do it and do it every year, I just genuinely think they don't see it as worth the effort unless it's "bad enough" they can't ignore it
mouser
Business of Hockey
Ah, my bad, was mixing up the $10k and $5k limits.
Honestly it probably saves time and money for the PA too without having to get their lawyers on the call as well.
uncleben
Global Moderator
I think it just annoys me more that they have the gall to say it is the "maximum allowable" despite it being this (relative) pittance
uncleben
Global Moderator
Updated with Bjugstad's and Simek's fines (both listed as maximum).
Also decided to include Chayka's suspension from the League. Chayka was suspended from any work in the League through December 31, 2021 for what the League deemed to be a breach of his contract, when he interviewed for external work and then subsequent quit his role as general manager of the Arizona Coyotes.
Also decided to include Chayka's suspension from the League. Chayka was suspended from any work in the League through December 31, 2021 for what the League deemed to be a breach of his contract, when he interviewed for external work and then subsequent quit his role as general manager of the Arizona Coyotes.
uncleben
Global Moderator
Almost forgot to include this one somehow:
Larsson suspended two games for actions in Coyotes game
Larsson suspended for 2 for illegal check to the head
Larsson suspended two games for actions in Coyotes game
Larsson suspended for 2 for illegal check to the head
uncleben
Global Moderator
uncleben
Global Moderator
Roussel fined for actions in Canucks game against Oilers
Get the Roussel fine in before I forget!
Another case of "maximum allowable" nonsense.
Roussel got lucky, if you will. For fines, repeat offenders are designated by a rolling calendar year.
Roussel was fined last year, February 10, 2020. If he gotten this fine two weeks earlier, he would have been a repeat offender (though they probably would've slapped the "maximum allowable" label on him anyone and not actually given him more).
Get the Roussel fine in before I forget!
Another case of "maximum allowable" nonsense.
Roussel got lucky, if you will. For fines, repeat offenders are designated by a rolling calendar year.
Roussel was fined last year, February 10, 2020. If he gotten this fine two weeks earlier, he would have been a repeat offender (though they probably would've slapped the "maximum allowable" label on him anyone and not actually given him more).
uncleben
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uncleben
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uncleben
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uncleben
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uncleben
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uncleben
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uncleben
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McDavid fined for actions in Oilers game
This is an especially bad look, imo. Highest paid player in the league, getting fined $5k for a blatant elbow to the head, and "Oh, our hands are tied! It's the maximum!"
This is an especially bad look, imo. Highest paid player in the league, getting fined $5k for a blatant elbow to the head, and "Oh, our hands are tied! It's the maximum!"
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