The NHL fined Florida Panthers defenseman Ben Chiarot $5,000 on Wednesday for headbutting Tampa Bay forward Ross Colton.
The incident occurred with 9:47 left in the second period Tuesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference second-round series. The two-time defending champion Lightning won 4-1 in Sunrise, Fla.
Chiarot pushed his helmet into Colton’s visor during a break in the action, with Florida leading 1-0 at the time. Both players received two-minute penalties for cross-checking each other, but Chiarot was not disciplined at the time for the headbutt.
Chiarot, 31, has one assist in seven games this postseason. The Panthers acquired him in a March 16 trade with the Montreal Canadiens.
The fine was the maximum allowable under the collective bargaining agreement. Last week, Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse was suspended one game for headbutting Los Angeles Kings forward Phillip Danault.
–Field Level Media