Call it an expensive squirt.
Ottawa Senators forward Scott Sabourin was fined $1,881.72 by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for unsportsmanlike conduct after he squirted an opponent with a water bottle from the bench.
At 11:23 of the third period of Thursday’s game in Ottawa, Sabourin launched his liquids at Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele. It did not appear that Scheifele was hit by the spray, nor was he injured on the play.
Nonetheless, the NHL has little tolerance for shenanigans originating from off the playing surface.
Referee Chris Rooney skated past the Sens’ bench, hitting Sabourin with a 10-minute misconduct — effectively ending the Sens winger’s night — without breaking stride.
This isn’t the first fine handed out by the NHL for squirting an opponent with a water bottle.
Back in 2017, New York Rangers forward Kevin Hayes and Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning were each fined $5,000 for taking part in a water-bottle fight. Neither player was penalized during the game.
Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist also picked up a $5,000 fine of his own for spraying Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby during the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. One day prior to that, Boston’s Shawn Thornton was suddenly $2,820 poorer for blasting P.K. Subban with his water bottle. Lundqvist and Thornton both avoided any in-game punishment.
