The NHL has fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000 and forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for unsportsmanlike conduct during warm-ups prior to Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Playoff opening round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

Cousins apparently fired a puck into the Toronto end, towards goaltender Anthony Stolarz.

“It’s an active investigation. I don’t know if I should be commenting,” said Ottawa head coach Travis Green. “I have people that have advised me maybe not to comment on it.  I’m kidding. I saw the video. Stolarz and Cousins have played together. [Cousins] is probably trying to laugh at him or make a joke or get him off his game. It is what it is.”

While the league didn’t cite a specific rule, this is covered in Rule 86.6: 

During the pre-game warm-up … and before the commencement of play in any period, each team shall confine its activity to its own end of the rink.

There’s no prescribed penalty or fine, which means it’s left up to the league’s discretion.

Look, it is a big deal? Probably not. But it’s also nonsense.  We’ve got some players (grandfathered in) still skating warm-ups without helmets, and nobody’s expecting flying pucks coming from the far end of the ice.  

 

 

Cousins earned this one. The league likely felt that the team failed to prevent this sort of behavior and tacked on the additional $25k to the organization.

The team fine goes to the NHL FOundation; Cousins’ contribution is toward the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.