Utah Mammoth Defenseman Punished by NHL Player Safety for 'Dangerous Trip'

Saturday's slate of NHL games was full of fantastic encounters, and late in the evening, the Nashville Predators and Utah Mammoth played a fantastic contest that resulted in an overtime win for the latter.

For the most part, there was little drama between the two Central Division rivals, except for one moment of chaos that saw veteran Ian Cole trip Steven Stamkos, who would then high-stick Cole, eventuating in both heading to the box.

On Sunday however, the NHL's Department of Player Safety were quick to punish the veteran blue liner, announcing that because of the dangerous trip, he would be fined the maximum amount allowable under the CBA, $2,500.

As a result of his trip, Stamkos would high-stick Cole, ending up with both of them in the box, and while Cole would end up being fined by the DoPS, it worked out in the Mammoth's favour as they managed to rally back for the 3-2 victory on a Dylan Guenther overtime winner.

As for the play from Cole, it was clearly a dangerous play, and while not suspension worthy, the call from the DoPS to hand down a fine was the right one, as the league is clearly trying their best to improve player safety across the board.

Ultimately, there are some plays that can't be avoided in the NHL, but this is one that clearly can, so after the fine, the hope is that players around the league see this and limit plays like this that put their opponents in very dangerous situations.