Capitals winger Ryan Leonard has been fined the maximum allowed under the CBA for high-sticking Devils center Cody Glass.
The incident came Saturday night in Washington, where New Jersey rolled to a 7-4 win. Leonard took a double minor in that game, and Leonard's stick swing at Glass's head had already raised the possibility of a suspension.
An NHL news account posted the decision Sunday, saying the fine comes to $2,448.45.
-
That is the ceiling the CBA allows for a fine, and nothing in the post mentions a suspension. For a swing toward another player's head that drew four minutes, a fine that size will strike plenty of fans as light.
Leonard's night otherwise went the way Washington needed. He scored and added an assist, and he finished with 4 PIM and a -1 rating in a loss that dropped the Capitals to 10-8-0.
Glass finished with an assist in just over 11 minutes of ice time. The listing shows no injury for him.
What the fine means for the Capitals and the Devils
For Washington, the fine keeps a productive young winger available. Leonard has 14 points in 18 games this season, including 3 power-play goals, and the Capitals have lost two straight.
His 14 penalty minutes also say he plays on the edge. That works when the edge stays inside the rulebook, and Saturday it didn't.
The Capitals sit 19th in the NHL with a -3 goal differential. They can't afford to lose their top young scorers to discipline, and the fine spares them that.
New Jersey is in a better place. The Devils are 15-6-0, second in the Metropolitan Division, and have won two straight. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 43 of 47 shots in the win.
Glass has 2 goals and 4 assists in 21 games, and one of those goals is short-handed. Whether the Devils wanted a harsher punishment for the player who swung at him hasn't been reported.
The Capitals visit Tampa Bay on Tuesday, while the Devils host Montreal on Wednesday. Washington's next game will show how Leonard responds after a night that cost him a fine, and the league's decision leaves the question of discipline for high sticks very much alive.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Is a maximum fine enough punishment for Ryan Leonard's stick swing at Cody Glass?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Sad scene in Vancouver all but confirms the end for Brendan Gallagher
