Tempers finally spilled over Tuesday night in what had been a razor-tight battle between the Calgary Flames and Dallas Stars—and now the NHL is stepping in to clean up the fallout.

On Wednesday, the league announced that Flames forward Ryan Strome has been fined $5,000—the maximum allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement—for a cross-check delivered to Stars forward Jason Robertson in overtime.

The play unfolded just 45 seconds into the extra frame of Dallas’ eventual 4–3 win, a moment that quickly shifted the tone from tense to chaotic. Robertson, one of the Stars’ most dangerous offensive weapons, was forced to leave the game following the hit. Strome, meanwhile, was handed a double-minor for high-sticking on the play.

But the frustration didn’t come out of nowhere.

Earlier in the night, Strome was driven awkwardly into the boards from behind by Dallas defenseman Tyler Myers. The officials initially assessed Myers a five-minute major—a call that suggested serious concern—but after review, it was controversially wiped away entirely. No penalty. No further discipline. That sequence appeared to linger, simmering beneath the surface as the game wore on.

By the time overtime arrived, it felt like something was bound to give—and it did.

Strome, 32, has been a noticeable addition since arriving in Calgary at the trade deadline in March. In just 16 games with the Flames, he’s already produced five goals and six assists, quickly surpassing the nine points he recorded across 33 games earlier this season with the Anaheim Ducks. His impact has been immediate—but so, now, are the consequences.

For Calgary, it’s another frustrating chapter in a season that’s been defined as much by missed opportunities as it has been by moments like this—where emotion boils over and control slips away at the worst possible time.