New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal has been fined $5,000 for high-sticking Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Tony DeAngelo.
Barzal caught DeAngelo up high 2:59 into the second period of Saturday’s game in New York. The two players were pursuing the puck deep in the Carolina zone. They bumped as they neared the boards, with Barzal turning and whipping his stick around – right into DeAngelo’s head.
Referee Wes McCauley issued a minor penalty for high sticking. Now Player Safety has tacked on a $5000 fine.
Rule 60.1 covers high sticks:
A “high stick” is one which is carried above the height of the opponent’s shoulders. Players must be in control and responsible for their stick. However, a player is permitted accidental contact on an opponent if the act is committed as a normal windup or follow through of a shooting motion, or accidental contact on the opposing center who is bent over during the course of a face-off.
A wild swing at a bouncing puck would not be considered a normal windup or follow through and any contact to an opponent above the height of the shoulders shall be penalized accordingly.
There was no follow-through here. This was clearly a wild swing — though not even one at the puck.
This is not the first time this season that errant contact has left Tony DeAngelo frustrated on the ice. DeAngelo ran into referee Graham Skilliter earlier this season, picking up an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for blasting the ref after he was knocked to the ice.
The Hurricanes defeated the Islanders 4-3 in overtime. Referees were Wes McCauley (#4) and Francois St. Laurent (#8), with linespersons Libor Suchanek (#60) and James Tobias (#61).
Barzal’s fine is the maximum permitted under the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement without a hearing.
