Connor McDavid has been fined $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety for his late elbow up high on Jesperi Kotkaniemi of the Canadiens.
As always, this fine is the “maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement.”
Late in the first period of Montreal’s 4-0 win, the Oilers captain pursued Kotkaniemi well after the Habs forward passed the puck to Paul Byron in the neutral zone. McDavid then dropped him with the hit up high and was given a minor for roughing.
It was a frustrating night for McDavid. He was limited to zero shots on goal and had a goal called back for offside. He was visibly frustrated with the officials at the end of the second period.
During his postgame availability, McDavid did not expand on the tough night at the office.
“I didn’t think anything of it, it was just a normal night,” he said.
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.