The NHL and the Department of Player Safety fined the Canadiens, the Capitals, Xhekj and McIlrath. Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6242f0c1-3714-40c7-b462-865b13f9bf15.jpeg] The NHL and the Department of Player Safety fined the Canadiens, the Capitals, Xhekj and McIlrath. Photo Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images We reported on Sunday [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/league-issues-stern-warning-to-canadiens-and-capitals] that the NHL had warned the Montreal Canadiens [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens] and the Washington Capitals [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/washington-capitals] to be very careful about how they handled themselves during warmups, TV ad breaks, and the intermission periods. Canadiens: About That Devastating Hit [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-about-that-devastating-hit] Canadiens: Tough Loss In Hard Hitting Battle [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-tough-loss-in-hard-hitting-battle] Canadiens: About Laine's Injury [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/latest-news/canadiens-about-laines-injury] On Monday morning, both teams were fined $25,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct in the warmup. Canadiens’ defenseman Arber Xhekaj also received a $3,385.42 fine, and Capitals’ healthy scratch blueliner Dylan McIlrath a $2,018.23 one by the NHL Department of Player Safety. There was nothing much to the incident, and one can wonder if the Department is aptly named. The players weren’t unsafe in warmup on Sunday night. Since the start of the series, actions have gone unpunished on the ice and could easily have been reviewed had the NHL not been wary of admitting its referees had missed some calls. Those fines are unlikely to diffuse to a situation that is currently brewing between the two sides, and the physicality is likely to go up, not down, when the two sides meet again on Wednesday night for game five. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Canadiens stories, analysis, breaking news, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwo-DfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen], never to miss a story. Follow Karine on X @KarineHains [https://x.com/KarineHains] Bluesky @karinehains.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/karinehains.bsky.social] and Threads @karinehains [https://www.threads.net/@karinehains]. Bookmark The Hockey News Canadiens' page [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/montreal-canadiens/] for all the news and happenings around the Canadiens.
