The first fine of the NHL season is in the books.
Washington Capitals forward Andrew Cristall has been fined $2,250.86, the maximum amount allowable under the CBA, for cross-checking Philadelphia Flyers defenceman Hunter McDonald, the NHL's department of player safety announced Tuesday.
The incident occurred midway through the second period of Monday's 5-2 Capitals win. McDonald put Capitals forward Ryan Leonard into the boards and Cristall cross-checked McDonald in retaliation.
Cristall, 21, was then held along the boards by other Flyers players, resulting in a scrum, and was immediately handed a five-minute major match penalty.
Selected 40th overall by the Capitals in the second round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Cristall has yet to make his regular-season NHL debut. He spent last season in the AHL with the Hershey Bears, tallying 20 goals and 40 assists in 70 games.
The 21-year-old from Vancouver previously played his junior hockey in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets and Spokane Chiefs.
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