A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been given the highest possible fine under the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
Nikita Zadorov was fined $5,000, the NHL announced Monday morning, for his post-game crosscheck on Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid.
The Canucks beat the Edmonton Oilers 4-3 Sunday to take the lead by one in the series. But after the final horn at the end of the third period, Zadorov hit McDavid with a crosscheck in the back, causing him to fall. As he was falling, McDavid was struck again, but this time by Vancouver’s Carson Soucy.
The NHL said a hearing will be held for Soucy’s crosscheck, as it appears McDavid was hit in the face. The date and time of that hearing has not yet been announced.
Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Tuesday in Edmonton.
