NHL Player Safety brings down the hammer on Evan Rodrigues after a high-sticking incident
Photo credit: Sergei Belski-Imagn Images
The NHL Department of Player Safety has settled one of the most debated moments from Saturday night in New Jersey. Devils forward Evan Rodrigues has been fined $5,000, “the maximum allowable under the CBA,” for high-sticking Vancouver Canucks center Marco Rossi.
The play unfolded at the end of the second period of the Devils' 4-1 victory on October 10. Rossi gave Rodrigues a shove during the faceoff, and Rodrigues responded by lifting his stick into the neck area of the Vancouver forward.
Officials called a double minor, leaving New Jersey to kill four straight minutes that stretched into the third period.
Why the On-Ice Call Sparked Debate
Plenty of fans and media members felt a double minor did not match what they saw replayed. Replays showed the stick riding high toward the neck.
Some argued the contact deserved a major, which would have meant five minutes down a man. The league chose a financial penalty instead of a suspension, so Rodrigues avoids missing any games.
Money collected through NHL fines goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund, so the amount carries little sting for a veteran but still goes on his disciplinary record.
For Rodrigues, the timing is awkward, since he has yet to record a point through three games and carries a minus-four rating.
What It Means for Rossi and the Canucks
Rossi, 25, has started hot, scoring three goals in his first five games. Canucks supporters hoping for a suspension will be disappointed, but the maximum fine shows the league took the stick work seriously.
For New Jersey, the message is simple. Penalty kills are hard enough without handing opponents four minutes of power play time.
Coach Sheldon Keefe's group won the game, yet a lapse like this can swing a tighter contest, and the Devils will want to keep their sticks down as the season gets going and the schedule tightens.
Both clubs now turn the page, but whenever New Jersey and Vancouver meet again, this moment will hang over the matchup. Expect Rossi and Rodrigues to be watched closely from the opening faceoff.
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