Ben Chiarot Fined for Headbutting Ross Colton in Game 1 TB/FLA

Department of Player Safety announced today fine to Ben Chiarot for Headbutting:


Just a few, short days ago the NHL's DoPS suspended EDM's Darnell Nurse for the very same act. However, I think this was a far less egregious offense than Nurse's. Not only was the forcefullness much less here than it was there, Chiarot went straight visor-to-visor hardly adjusting Colton's helmet.




Here is Darnell Nurse's, which resulted in a one-game ban, for comparison:


Pretty significant difference. However, amidst the league's crusade to mitigate head injuries it's clear they're taking a zero tolerance policy. Well, if you don't count the number of undisciplined hits resulting in head injuries, that is.

Both players received matching cross-checking minors on the play, and the Panthers were simply outclassed by the hardened Lightning team. A $5,000 fine, the maximum allowable as per the Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in 2020, seems sufficient in this case.