Bettman and the NHL Issues Ruling on Nick Cousins Following Montreal Clash
The NHL announced that Nick Cousins of the Ottawa Senators has been fined only $2,148.44, the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement.
The fine comes in response to his horrible slash against Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens.
Frankly, in my opinion, seeing such a dangerous slash receive such a weak sanction raises serious questions about player safety and the seriousness of disciplinary measures.
I would have preferred to see a suspension.
I sincerely believe that this type of action deserves much more than just a slap on the wrist.
Ottawa Senators' Nick Cousins and Hayden Hodgson sanctioned after actions
For those who haven't seen it, here is the action in question:
It's up to you to judge whether this is worth more than $2,148.44.
As for me, I have no hesitation in saying that I find this amount absurd. By minimizing this type of incident, the NHL sends a troubling message to fans and to the young people who follow this sport.
The worst part of all this is the fact that this action was committed during a preseason game.
The NHL Player Safety have also fined Ottawa's Hayden Hodgson for his for boarding Montreal's Alex Newhook.
It makes you wonder if the NHL is waiting for a serious accident before reacting more firmly. We've seen players receive harsher sanctions for actions that were much less dangerous.
Luckily Habs fans can breathe as Elliotte Friedman reassures Demidov is doing just fine.
One thing is certain: if he is in the lineup this Saturday against the Habs, some of Montreal's enforcers will give him something much worse than this fine.
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