Colton was handed a game misconduct.
NEWARK, N.J. -- NHL Player Safety announced Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for cross-checking New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier.
The money goes to the Players' Emergency Assistance Fund.
The cross-check occurred at 10:44 in the second period of New Jersey's Tuesday, Nov. 7 game versus Colorado at Ball Arena.
Colton was initially called for boarding Luke Hughes and then cross-checking Meier. He was assessed a two-minute penalty for boarding, a five-minute penalty for cross-checking, and 10 minutes for a game misconduct. The Devils were given a seven-minute power play, where Meier scored his third goal of the season.
After the game, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said he did not love the call.
"I don't know. I mean, he's forechecking hard. I saw it very similar to the Wood hit (on Siegenthaler). The guy's trying to wheel the net, we're cutting him off," Bednar said. "There's going to be contact, you know? I think the difference was Hughes, last second, he tried to turn out of it without the puck, so it didn't look good. He gave him two. I'll live with the call."
"After the fact, honestly, I didn't even see that until I watched the replay, but Meier turns back to go at Colton, and he's coming at him with his stick high," he continued. "You gotta defend yourself, and your sticks got to go up unless you want to take one in the teeth. So, it's what he does. It's a reaction play to me. I didn't think that deserved a five. I don't like the call to five, but you try and live through it."
The Avalanche would eventually beat the Devils by a final score of 6-3. Colton played 7:44 and scored his team's second goal. The Avalanche will travel to New Jersey on Feb. 6.