NHL Player Earns $5K Fine for an Unusual Penalty

It's one of weirder unsportsmanlike conduct penalties you'll see: The NHL has fined Brad Marchand of the Florida Panthers $5,000 for grabbing a rival's helmet and tearing the straps out. As MassLive explains, the incident happened over the weekend in a game against the Buffalo Sabres. After Marchand got cross-checked by Rasmus Dahlin, he took Dahlin to the ice and ripped off his helmet in the process. After they were separated, Marchand carried the helmet to the penalty box, tore out the straps, and tossed it back onto the ice. Watch it all here.

The fine is the maximum the league can issue under the collective bargaining agreement. The vandalism caused a bit of a delay because Dahlin had to find a new helmet to wear for the ensuing power play, notes the Athletic. "He's a competitor," Dahlin said after the game. "I've probably done something like that in the past, too. Stuff happens out there."