Florida Panthers forward Anthony Duclair picked up a penalty for shooting a glove at an opposing player. It could’ve been worse.

Washington’s Lars Eller lost his glove during a battle in his defensive zone.  Moments later, Duclair attempted to ‘return’ it to the gloveless Caps center, then in possession of the puck, by pushing it along the ice with his stick.

 

The penalty handed out fell under Rule 56.2 – Interference:

A minor penalty for interference shall be imposed […] on a player who knocks or shoots any abandoned or broken stick or illegal puck or other debris towards an opposing puck carrier in a manner that could cause him to be distracted.

This is similar to the rule for throwing equipment (Rule 53).

A player shall not throw a stick or any other object in any zone. […] A minor penalty shall be imposed for throwing a stick or any other object in the direction of the puck or an opponent in any zone, except when such act has been penalized by the assessment of a penalty shot (53.7) or the awarding of a goal (53.8)

Rule 53.7 breaks it down a bit more specifically when it happens in a player’s defending zone.

When any member of the defending team, including the Coach or any non-playing person, throws or shoots any part of a stick or any other object or piece of equipment at the puck or puck carrier in his defending zone, the Referee or Linesman shall allow the play to be completed and if a goal is not scored, a penalty shot shall be awarded to the non-offending team. 

Duclair clearly threw (under the NHL’s rule definition of the term) a glove at the puck carrier.  In this case, though, it was in the attacking zone, resulting only in a minor penalty.

 

Referees for the game were Dan O’Rourke (#9) and Brian Pochmara (#16), with linesmen Andrew Smith (#51) and Matt MacPherson (#83).