Tampa Bay Lightning forward Austin Watson was fined for being a jerk.

The Bolts winger picked up a $2,022.57 fine for shooting the puck at Nashville Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon just as the final buzzer sounded in a 5-1 Preds win. 

With the final seconds ticking off the clock, Watson unloaded a slapshot from the defensive zone that connected directly with the Nashville defenseman’s leg.

Lauzon, in significant pain, smashed his stick on the ice before limping off as both teams came together at the Lightning bench.

Watson was given a minor penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct along with a 10-minute misconduct.  The former Predator also picked up five minutes for fighting Tampa’s Cole Smith earlier in the game.
 

 

Nashville head coach Andrew Brunette was not happy with Watson’s actions.

“I did not like that at all,” Brunette said. “That has no place in hockey. No place whatsoever in hockey.”

Watson played six seasons in Nashville; he was not teammates with Smith or Lauzon during his 306 games with the Preds.

Alex Daugherty of Penalty Box Radio reports that Watson followed up with Lauzon after the incident.

 


 

Watson’s fine is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement without a formal hearing, based on his annual salary. 

 


 

The Nashville Predators defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-1. Referees were Francois St. Laurent (#8) and Gord Dwyer (#19), skating with linesmen Ryan Jackson (#84) and Devin Berg (#87).