Montreal Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj has been fined $3,385.42 for a cheap shot on Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Carrick.
Xhekaj delivered a gloved punch to Carrick when the two were shoving each other in a scrum along the boards in the closing seconds of Monday’s Game 3. The Habs forward was given a minor penalty for roughing.
While obviously an illegal hit, Xhekaj’s actions did not rise to the level of a suspension, being far less egregious than the punch delivered by Ridley Greig on an unsuspecting Sean Walker which earned him a two-game ban.
The fine issued to Xhekaj is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement without a formal hearing. Fines are capped at 50% of one day’s salary, with a maximum of $5,000 without a hearing. If a hearing takes place, the league can issue a fine up to $10,000. Players do not receive a salary during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.
The Montreal Canadiens went on to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 6-2, taking a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven second-round series. Officials for the games were referees Garrett Rank (#7) and Kyle Rehman (#10) with linespersons Devin Berg (#87) and Ryan Daisy (#81).
