New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal has been fined $2,000 for diving/embellishment.
The fine comes in response to an incident during New York’s game against the Washington Capitals on April 22. Barzal grabbed hold of Carl Hagelin’s stick and fell to the ice in an attempt to draw a hooking call. There was no penalty on the play, either to Hagelin for the hook or to Barzal for the dive.
A fine is issued to a player after his second offense, after he’s already received a warning for diving/embellishment.
Barzal was given a warning after the Islanders’ January 30 game against the Philadelphia Flyers, during which he drew a third-period tripping call on Flyers center Claude Giroux.
Citations are issued by the National Hockey League Hockey Operations Department, which tracks all games, logs all penalties for diving or embellishment, and flags all plays not called on the ice that in its opinion were deserving of such a penalty. A Citation is issued once Hockey Operations, through its internal deliberations, is convinced that a player warrants sanction.
If he’s spotted diving or embellishing again this season, the fine escalates to $3,000.
Barzal is the first NHL player to be fined for diving/embellishment this season. Two players were cited in 2019-20: Minnesota Wild goaltender Alex Stalock and Nashville Predators forward Viktor Arvidsson.
