Don Cherry thinks the $10,000 fine levied against Edmonton Oilers forward Milan Lucic was plenty punishment for him roughing Mathieu Joseph of the Tampa Bay Lighting earlier in the week.
In fact, Cherry suggested Joseph was somewhat to blame for the incident.
Lucic retaliated after Joseph hit Kris Russell from behind earlier in a game in which the Tampa winger was throwing his body around. The 30-year-old knocked the rookie over with a blindside hit, then punched him in the head and mounted him before a scrum ensued.
“If you’re going to act like [Joseph] acts, running around and hit McDavid and hit Nugent-Hopkins, you gotta stand up,” Cherry said Saturday during the Coach’s Corner segment on Hockey Night in Canada. “At least grab a hold of him. Don’t try to fight him. Don’t lay there and turtle.”
Lucic was assessed a couple of minor penalties and given a game misconduct on the play.
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