Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi has been fined $5,000 by the NHL`s Department of Player Safety for his hit on Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov. The league announced the disciplinary action on Monday, stating the fine is the highest amount permissible under the collective bargaining agreement.
The incident happened in the closing moments of Game 4. With the Panthers securing a 2-0 victory to level the second-round series at two games apiece, Domi delivered a hit from behind on Barkov near the boards, sparking a large scrum that involved multiple players and led to physical altercations.
Domi was assessed a five-minute major penalty for boarding on the play. In addition, Toronto`s Bobby McMann and Florida`s Aaron Ekblad and Brad Marchand were each given 10-minute misconduct penalties for their involvement in the ensuing commotion.
Despite the hit, Barkov was reportedly not injured, according to coach Paul Maurice.
Panthers forward Sam Bennett commented that Domi`s action was consistent with the physical nature of the series and that he anticipated similar events.
When questioned about the incident, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube diverted attention to a different play, asserting that Dmitry Kulikov`s unpenalized elbow to Mitch Marner`s head earlier in the game was “10 times worse.”
The series is set to continue with a crucial Game 5 hosted by Toronto on Wednesday.
