Vancouver Canucks forward Micheal Ferland will be fined $5,000 for his spear in Game 1 of the club’s qualifying round series against the Minnesota Wild.
The NHL Department of Player Safety announced the fine, initially reported by Sportsnet‘s Elliotte Friedman, Monday morning.
The fine means no suspension for Ferland.
During a brief scuffle with players on the Wild bench midway through the third period of Sunday’s game, Ferland speared Minnesota’s Ryan Hartman in the mid-section in retaliation after Minnesota’s Luke Kunin grabbed his stick from the bench.
Ferland and Hartman were penalized at the time of the infraction: Ferland was issued two minutes for slashing, while Hartman got an interference penalty. Kunin did not receive a penalty at the time, but was fined Monday for his role in the fracas.
It was Ferland’s third trip to the penalty box in what was a heated opening matchup between the two clubs. He dropped the gloves with Minnesota’s Marcus Foligno less than two minutes into the game, with each player earning himself a five-minute fighting penalty. Ferland also served a too-many-men call in the second period.
The matchup was Ferland’s first since Dec. 10. He was placed on the Canucks’ long term injured reserve on Dec. 14 after experiencing concussion-related symptoms.
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