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Chris Kreider fined for hitting Eakin in head with own helmet (Video)

NHL
NHL

Chris Kreider of the New York Rangers played over 17 minutes in their wacky 7-6 loss to the Dallas Stars, which was a rather exceptional total given that he should have been handed a match penalty for weaponizing an opponent’s helmet early in the second period.

Kreider and Cody Eakin of the Stars had a bit of a wrestling match on Tuesday night, with Kreider at one point ripping off Eakin’s lid and bouncing it off his unprotected head:

On Wednesday, the NHL fined Kreider $5,000, which is the maximum allowable under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for the helmet bashing incident.

Although he plays over the edge with frequency, Kreider has never been suspended by the Department of Player Safety.

The NHL has fined, rather than suspended, players before for this type of incident. Like Darcy Tucker back in 2005, against Cam Janssen:

Then-NHL discipline czar Colin Campbell fined Tucker $2,500 and said, “We did not feel it was Tucker’s intent to hurt Janssen with the helmet. He was trying to get the helmet off and I don’t think he was trying to use it as a weapon.”

Chris Kreider no doubt pled the same.

Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.

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